With Broken Wings
by Akino Ame
Summary: When Kouichi falls to evil again, Kouji must risk mind, body, and will to save him and the entire world. He thinks he must do this alone, but he's mistaken. AU, crossover with 02.
1. Introduction

            In 2002, the Digital World lived in terror of the Digimon Kaiser, a child driven megalomaniacal through the death of his elder brother, the disappearance of his closest friend Ryo Akiyama, and the curse of the Dark Seed. He used the Digital World as his playground, enslaving thousands of Digimon, and slaughtering countless others, as though it was a game.

            Then, one day, his dark reign finally ended.

            Five children, the Chosen Children, defeated him, forcing him to return to his true self. The grand robes of the Kaiser disintegrated off his back, leaving an ordinary boy in place of the tyrant. For his crimes, he paid numerous prices: the death of his Digimon partner, the torturous recollections of his brother's death, an amnesiac state of consciousness, and the distrust of the Chosen Children, with whom his destiny lay.

            In the January that followed, the former Kaiser watched his evil alter ego suffer and perish at the hands of those he had tortured and enslaved. But, however, he didn't see who had murdered the evil being. Just after a red laser fired at the Kaiser, the deceased elder brother appeared, offering redemption. But the amnesty—as well as the Kaiser's demise and torture—was all an illusion devised to distract him.

            Upon learning of the vicious trick played on him, the boy joined forces with his friends—the very children who had brought about the Kaiser's defeat in the first place—and destroyed the evil that threatened their world.

            But in the end, one must wonder of the fate of the Kaiser, who truly was a being all of his own. Unlike the boy he possessed, he had a soul as black as night. The Dark Seed remained alive inside its host, as well as the other Seeds spawned from it. Millenniumon, the creature that had first spread the Dark Seeds, had finally been defeated and sealed within a jogress called Cyberdramon, who now remained in another universe with the boy's friend Ryo.

            And if none of them died, who was to say the Kaiser had too?

            He hadn't. After a long journey, his spirit entered a black hole's maelstrom, and allowed its vortex to lead him to a third universe, where he eventually came to Earth. There, he found another boy, identical to his first host in spirit.

            And this boy's name was Kouichi Kimura.

**Akino: I know, another of those "Digimon Kaiser takes over someone new." But this one definitely has a twist—instead of Osamu like it usually is, I'm using Kouichi! Each chapter of this is named after one of the image songs of the Digimon characters. There are quotes from each song as an introduction. The title of the series is the translation of Kouichi's image song. Unless stated that the translation is by KarenSedai, all image song translations are from animelyrics.com, while the ones translated by KarenSedai are from her site. I have to credit Nic (Ken's luver) for writing "Dopplegangland," which was somewhat of an inspiration for this. Can't wait for the new version to come out, Nic! Well, you know what to do: review and tell me what you think. But remember, if you flame, Kaiser Kouichi's gonna come for you!**


	2. Only One

_"I'm the only one that goes to the end of the sky to escape."  
__Ken Ichijouji/Digimon Kaiser—"Only One"  
__(Translated by Lintsister)_

With Broken Wings  
Prologue: "Only One"

Ken Ichijouji looked at the ground underneath his feet as the last of the glittering iridescent butterflies representing Yukio Oikawa's life force flew above the twelve Chosen, the twenty Dark Seed-infected children, and the oddly dressed digital human Gennai. The international Chosen Children had left: beautiful Catherine of France, adventurous Dingo of Australia, loyal Michael of America, crazy possessive little Chichos of Mexico—all of them gone, leaving behind the eleven Japanese Chosen, Gennai, Mimi Tachikawa (who'd moved to New York years ago), and the Chosen's young new recruits. Ken didn't know why, but he was crying. He was crying over Oikawa's sacrifice. Tears abandoned his eyes and struck the ground, staining the dark landscape with a sorrowful reminder of what had occurred. It was strange: This man had kidnapped Ken, implanted Dark Seeds into these twenty children, and nearly tried to destroy the Digital World, and yet they were still crying for him. Was this the curse of the Crest of Kindness?

_It's no different from when Osamu died,_ Ken thought. In a way, it was true. His brother had been killed in a freak car accident when the car had pulled up onto the curb. He could still remember the pool of blood, the screeching ambulance, the numb feeling of shock, and the tears that came later, once the whole ordeal had set in. But for some reason, he couldn't think of Osamu's killer. He'd managed to block that image out of his mind. And seeing him in BelialVamdemon's Mind Illusion was almost too much to bear. His heart filled with rage as he remembered that moment—seeing the Digimon Kaiser on top of a wooden pole in the desert, the sky swirling with black and gray—as though something was coming out, the Digimon exacting their revenge for what he'd done to them, and worst of all, Osamu's appearance. It was hard not knowing whether the older Ichijouji boy forgave the younger. And why should he? After all the things Ken had done? Who would forgive the Digimon Kaiser? And yet somehow, the Chosen Children had. The Digital World had, eventually. Finally, Ken looked up into the sky, no longer seeing the Earth covered by a dark veil, but a beautiful blue sky with the sun shining through. Osamu was up there somewhere. Could he forgive his younger brother for all he had done?

"Ken, what are you thinking about?" his partner Digimon, Wormmon, asked.

"It's nothing," he assured. "I was just hoping that Osamu could forgive me for what I did as the Kaiser. I know the rest of you have forgiven me, but has he?"

Thirty-two children from the ages of nine to fifteen suddenly lost their voices and were unable to console Ken. The Chosen Children all knew of Ken's brother's death, and the new children would soon learn. Thirty-two Digimon also went silent for the same reason. What was there to say to an eleven-year-old boy who had been through just about every trial imaginable, and still make things all right for him? Finally, it was Gennai who spoke.

"Ken, whether your brother forgives you or not is something for you to believe for yourself. I can't imagine he wouldn't, considering that you had been so close in childhood."

"Yeah," Taichi Yagami added, the fourteen-year-old former leader suddenly finding his voice. "It would be just the same as if I couldn't forgive Hikari for something."

"Or if I couldn't forgive Takeru for something," agreed his best friend Yamato Ishida. "It's impossible for us, even if we may say we wouldn't be able to."

"Exactly," Gennai replied. "But you've repaid your debt to the Digital World a thousand times over, so there is no reason for anyone to hold resentment against you."

Ken nodded and looked around. Eleven-year-olds Takeru Takaishi and Daisuke Motomiya had managed to get a shocked Iori Hida out of the other world before the gateway to it closed. All of the people standing there felt sympathy for the nine-year-old, knowing that like Ken, he too had lost one too many people in his life. Miyako Inoue and Sora Takenouchi were trying to console the boy, but it hadn't been until Ken's comment about forgiveness that he'd actually come out of his near-catatonic state. How ironic was it that the one person he'd hated for the past few months was the only person that really understood what he was going through? What purpose did those feelings of hatred and anger serve? And as Iori's mind swam with uncertainties and ironies, he observed that the scenery around them had changed from black and gray to the beautiful swirls of color they'd all known. The world was healing, slowly but surely.

"Come on," fifteen-year-old Jyou Kido insisted. "We've got to see if anyone needs help in the Real World." There were varied answers of agreement from the other children and Digimon around him, until one of their own began looking around.

"Hikari, is something wrong?" Tailmon checked, noticing her human partner was scanning the area around her.

"The Darkness," she commented. "Can't you feel it? It's just as strong as when BelialVamdemon was here."

Like the last ominous note from a pipe organ, the feeling of evil reached everyone around.

"Where's it coming from?" thirteen-year-old Koushiro Izumi questioned.

"Not 'where from,'" Ken corrected. "'Where to' is a better question."

Sixty-five pairs of eyes gazed up into the sky, where a black, swirling hole had ripped open in the sky. In a single instant, the Mind Illusion played over and over in Ken's mind: the Kaiser being beaten by his own slaves, the sound of a shot going off—like a laser or something, Osamu lifting up the goggles from where they'd fallen in the sand…

_Wait,_ Ken thought. Now he realized what had haunted him so much about that illusion. While the others had been distracted by fantasies, Ken had been tortured by nightmares, and why? Why didn't BelialVamdemon keep Ken distracted with a fantasy as well? The boy could think of a few dreams he'd had that he would have liked to see come true. But why torture him so much? And why did Osamu take the goggles? Had it been Ken, he'd have crushed those things immediately. But Osamu had carefully preserved them. What haunted him the most was the fact that—no matter what anyone said—Osamu was really there. He'd felt it, the same presence that had kept him searching for Leafmon's egg in the Village of Beginnings. Even if that physical form wasn't his brother, Ken knew that Osamu had been in there with him.

_Osamu, what was the point in the goggles?_ Ken asked.

Finally, they were able to see where the portal had opened. A young boy around eleven was sitting on a beach, sifting through the sand. The same evil presence was with him already, but now it was increasing to its maximum output. Another boy ran in, trying to talk to him. But the first boy turned his head, revealing a sinister grin.

It was thirteen-year-old Mimi that noticed it first.

"Oh, God! Look!" she cried. "He looks exactly like Ken!"

"That means only one thing," Ken replied. The others all looked at him for an explanation. "The Digimon Kaiser is back."


	3. In the Blue

_"In my eyes, one regret  
In my heart, a regret I can't erase."  
Kouji Minamoto—"In the Blue"  
(Translated by KarenSedai)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter One: "In the Blue"  
_  
__Japan: January 4, 2003—Just after BelialVamdemon's defeat_  
Kouichi Kimura sat in the sand at the beach, letting the small grains slip through his fingers. Above him, the sky swirled with clouds of black and gray, but he didn't notice or care. All that was on his mind at the moment were the tiny grains of sand between his fingers.

Ah, how wonderful it felt, the microscopic pieces of who-cares-what in his hand, in his grasp, all depending on him to either let it go, or allow it to remain in his hands. And no matter how much sand he allowed to rejoin the shore and sea, there was always some to remain on his hand. It would always be there. It was like it was a part of him…

"Kouichi!" shouted his younger twin. He just ignored Kouji Minamoto and allowed him to approach. "What is it with you?"

Kouichi momentarily stopped sifting through the sand and looked at his brother, who was in his yellow T-shirt, midnight blue fleece jacket, and gray athletic pants from their adventure in the Digital World back in April. "What?" he asked roughly, uninterestedly.

"I want to know what your problem is. You yelled at Tomoki, who was only trying to ask a simple question, and you mouthed off to Izumi, who everyone this side of the Rose of Venus knows is your girlfriend. It's one thing if you're fighting with me, but with them…" His face was tense, yet pained. "What is it with you? It's like you're not the same person anymore."

"Sand is an interesting thing," Kouichi commented, seeming to completely ignore the original subject. "It likes clinging to things, staying in everything. No matter how hard you try to avoid it, you end up with sand in your shoes and between your toes. I'd say that you probably have half the beach in your sneakers right now, Kouji, and you don't even realize it." He then stood up, not bothering to wipe the sand off his long sleeved red T-shirt and unbuttoned green shirt that he had an inexplicable habit of wearing. "And it's always amazing what happens when you heat the sand up. It melts and becomes glass. You pressure it," he continued, emphasizing his point by clenching a fistful of sand, "and it will become something you don't expect." With that, he let the grains slip out of his grasp, like the sands in an hourglass.

"What's wrong with you?" Kouji questioned, his tone expressing his confusion. Though they hadn't known each other before the spring in the Digital World, they had become rather close, and it was painful to see the other like this. "Ever since Kouri was born, you've been this way."

"You know, Kouji, maybe you're right," Kouichi commented, his voice suddenly as soft and understanding as his brother's. But then he turned his face, revealing a sinister grin. "Maybe I'm not the same person anymore."

"What?" Kouji asked.

The sky suddenly spat a whip into Kouichi's hand. There is no better way to describe how the object went hurling from the sky in a flash of light and landed perfectly in his hand. He lunged at his brother with it, using the heavy cylindrical weight on the other end to strike his brother. It quickly made contact with Kouji's ribs, knocking him into the ground. Sand sprayed up from the force of his fall. Kouichi laughed evilly and removed the weight. Under it was a sickle-shaped blade.

"This should do it," he decided, snapping the whip across his brother's body. The blade slashed through Kouji's shirt—right where the weight had connected with his ribcage—and tore off a small chunk of his skin. And as he forced himself to stand, his older twin brother removed the blade from his newfound weapon, leaving it as an ordinary whip, which he immediately cracked onto the younger's neck. Kouji desperately pulled at the leather cord as his air supply was slowly cut off. Kouichi flashed another evil smirk and twisted a ring around the handle, releasing a blast of electricity guaranteed to kill anyone—especially the Warrior of Light.

The Chosen Children had been following Kouji for quite a while and had finally caught up with him, only to see their comrade collapse to the sand, his body trembling from the lethal electrical jolt. Kouichi retracted his whip and just stood there, cold and unfeeling.

"Kouji!" they shouted, running over. Izumi carefully cradled him in her arms and wiped the sand from his face, watching his chest gently rise and fall…rise and fall…rise and… fall…

"Kouji?" she asked, listening for his heartbeat, but there was none to be heard. She then looked up in horror at Kouichi, who had a numb look on his face. "Kouichi, how? How could you do this? How could you do this to your brother?"

He simply turned and walked away. But before he completely left, he turned his head and said, "Take this as an example of what will happen if anyone dares to cross paths with the Digimon Kaiser."

And with that, his clothes reformatted into a navy blue, white, and yellow jumpsuit, silver ankle bands and armbands, and a golden collar that accented a short cape consisting of two navy-colored triangular pieces of cloth, fastened to his neck by a silver buckle. He said no more, and left them in a night drowned by their tears.

_Five Months Later:  
_Like all of the Digimon Kaiser's slaves, Kotemon knew all the legends. He was very young (only a Child level for six months, and he'd hatched from his egg less than a year ago), and he'd only been a slave for more or less two months, but he knew the greatest Resistance story imaginable—the legend of the Digimon Kaiser: how Kouichi Kimura murdered his brother and became the Kaiser, how Earth's economy was in disarray following the collapse of the World Trade Center in America, and how the boy used the powers of Darkness and his skills as a demagogue to sway the people of Earth to accept him as their absolute ruler, how he brought both the Digital and Real Worlds together under his authority, how the Kaiser's friends disappeared to fight in the small but vocal Resistance, and most importantly of all, the legends of Wolfmon and Garmmon—the protectors of the slaves. They were Digimon created from the Spirits of Light, and they were always there to protect the slaves whenever there was some accident. They were first sighted on the night shift, and they were always guarded: Garmmon by Colonel Reiyama, a human mercenary, and Wolfmon by Renamon, a Child Digimon solider. Nobody knew why, but it seemed to be their unspoken duty to protect the slaves. The slaves were usually political prisoners who spoke out against the Kaiser's reign or disagreed with it in any way, and their despicable duty was to pick up after the Imperial Guard and the Resistance. But in that dangerous profession, something was always bound to go wrong, and that was when Garmmon or Wolfmon would save the day. No one knew who those two really were, but Kotemon's cellmate and friend Koemon was the one slave who could brag that she had seen Wolfmon's true form—his Child level. She had been partnered with Wolfmon to clean up the site of one of the latest victories against the Resistance, and a pile of weapons mysteriously detonated, creating a gigantic explosion.

"He was kind of a werewolf-thing," she described, referring to a human myth of a half-man, half-wolf being. "He called himself Strabimon."

"You're making this up," judged Kotemon's other cellmate and friend, Sakiko Ayamisa.

"No, I'm not!" Koemon yelled at the teenage girl. "His name was Strabimon and he helped me! He took the blame for the explosion! That's why he devolved! The Kaiser, Reiyama, and Renamon began beating him, waiting for him to cry out in pain." She had a sad look on her face and a look of compassion, almost as though there was more to her feelings for Strabimon than just simple hero-worship.

"Why didn't he?" Kotemon had questioned, having just started the slave life.

"Don't you newbies know anything?" thirteen-year-old Sakiko demanded in exasperation. "Neither Wolfmon nor Garmmon will show any weakness. They'll never give the Kaiser the satisfaction."

"You mean…" Kotemon started.

"Yep," Koemon answered. "Even though they're here, those two are the truest Resistance fighters: ready to die without a second thought—all just for their cause."

So when the next battle came around, Kotemon nearly jumped for joy when Reiyama—a man who was practically the Kaiser's shadow—told him that he'd be partnered with Garmmon. It had taken hours for him to finally fall asleep and Sakiko and Koemon praised him for his good luck.

_I wonder who's getting to work with Wolfmon,_ Kotemon thought as he walked out onto the beach that had been the scene of the battle. Despite the warm May weather, he shivered. Everyone knew this beach all too well. "Kind of scary, isn't it?" Garmmon gave no response, as though the black ring around his neck kept him silent. "I mean the fact that this is the same beach where the Kaiser killed his brother. Some people say that his body was swept out to sea, and whoever sees it will die an immediate and painful death." It was a rumor he believed, of course. It was common knowledge that anyone who saw the body would have a bright light burning their bodies from the inside out, first cleansing the soul with the shining radiance. It was true; a human boy had been consumed by the same bright white light only a few months earlier. And the slave that witnessed it had been executed the following day, as though to keep it all a secret. Kotemon was always terrified of this beach, but he felt safe around Garmmon. But even with that security, he kept his eyes out for discarded weapons, and not for the body of an eleven-year-old boy.

After at least twelve hours of picking up the discarded weapons from the battlefield, Kotemon began wondering if the great hero's reputation was all it was cracked up to be. Garmmon hadn't said a single word throughout the entirety of the job. Selfishly, Kotemon half-wished that something would go wrong, that Garmmon would be forced to show his true identity—then the little Child would have something to boast about in front of Koemon and Sakiko! But didn't appear it was going to happen any time soon…

And then he heard a click.

It was under his foot: a pressure-sensitive landmine. If he shifted his weight even just a little, it would detonate. Kotemon began panicking while Garmmon dropped the load of Imperial weapons he'd been carrying on his back (Strange that there weren't any Resistance weapons, Kotemon noticed) and allowed his body to be consumed by thousands of bands of DigiCode.

"Slide Evolution! Wolfmon!"

If possible, the transition from panic to shock nearly gave poor little Kotemon a heart attack; his heroes Garmmon and Wolfmon were one and the same! The collar that had been around Garmmon remained around Wolfmon's neck, and it began blinking with foreign red symbols. Kotemon guessed it was to alert the Kaiser, but why would the ruler want to waste his time with a slave's evolution?

Wolfmon carefully placed his foot on the mine and looked down at Kotemon.

"Get out of here," he ordered in a soft, but commanding voice. Kotemon hesitated. "Go!" The Child finally obeyed, but he hid by several large rocks that served as breakers between the waves and the sand.

Keeping his foot on the mine, Wolfmon crouched down and pulled out a small tab of plastic with a button on it and two steel loops around it: a mine defuser on a leather cord around his neck. Cautiously, he removed the rubber from two wires, exposing the copper. Then he wrapped the copper wires of the two protected wires around each steel loop of the defuser, being sure not to electrocute himself in the process. Once that was finished, he pressed the button on the defuser, melting the mine's circuitry. He stepped off of it, unaware of the fact that the Kaiser was right behind him. The Kaiser used the weighted mode of his whip to strike Wolfmon on the back of his head. He hit the ground silently, without so much as a thud. The DigiCode wrapped itself around him once more in a devolving phase. Kotemon was prepared to see the "werewolf-thing" Strabimon, the one that Koemon had described, but instead he saw a human boy—perhaps Sakiko's age or younger—with bluish-black hair and dark blue eyes. He looked somewhat familiar, but Kotemon just couldn't place where he'd seen him.

The Kaiser obviously didn't care that his slave was human because he switched his whip to electric blade mode, reserved for only the most rebellious _Digimon_—never humans. Ruthlessly, he beat the young human, rarely giving him the chance to breathe. As the blade continued to slash at the boy's body, causing muscle spasms from the electricity, Kotemon suddenly lost all desire to brag about his discovery.

_Why doesn't he just yell for it to stop?_ Kotemon wondered as the muscle spasms forced the boy to cough up a great deal of blood._ It's just that simple. Just one word, and it will all end. The Kaiser won't make him face anymore._ But the boy's pride was at stake—it was the only thing he had that he could call his own. Eventually, the blade caught the boy's long hair, slicing the elastic band that had tied it back.

"If you haven't learned your lesson now, you'll just have to learn it another way," the Kaiser decided. "Reiyama, take him to his cell." The blonde mercenary literally pulled the boy to his feet and forced him to hike all the way back to the mobile base. But as the injured boy walked away, Kotemon caught a glimpse of him without the hair tie. What he saw was a near-exact reflection of the Kaiser, only kinder, weaker, and with longer, roughly-cut hair. It took several minutes to recognize who he was. It took several minutes for him to realize that the only burning on his body was from the hot sun above. The boy was the Kaiser's supposedly dead brother—the one he'd murdered.

_No way,_ Kotemon denied. _The Kaiser would do that to his own brother?_

Deciding to try and find out the truth for himself, he discreetly followed them back to the slave barracks.

* * *

The Kaiser waved his hand as though dismissing someone, and a shroud of darkness concealed him, his brother, and Reiyama. Quickly and discreetly dashing in, Kotemon allowed himself to be cloaked in the void of existence too. 

All around, there were humans and Digimon who'd been captured; only these were whole families, unlike the groups of orphans in Kotemon's cellblock. In each cell was a crucifix-styled torture rack hooked to the wall—each looking ancient, rusted, and unused. All these slaves were submissive and didn't need torture. Was this boy the only one that was alive enough to know their existence as slaves was wrong? Kotemon could hear the sick and dying coughing up their last breaths, babies crying in terror, their mothers shushing them, and children whispering. Every child had a story to tell, whether it was of how a family member fought against the Imperial Guard, or what he or she would do upon escaping. Kotemon wanted more than anything to have the chance to help those children achieve their hopes, but he didn't have to be Sakiko Ayamisa to know that it was all a pipe dream.

Just then, Reiyama opened a door to a concealed cell: the fabled and infamous Cell 24. The entire cellblock grew silent, and Kotemon began shrinking into a little ball within his martial arts suit. On every cellblock, there was room for twenty-four full-sized cells, but on every single one, only twenty-three existed. Cell 24 was the exception. It was a myth as infamous as the Legend of the Digimon Kaiser itself. No one knew who lived in there—perhaps a SaintGalgomon judging by the lack of Cell 24s on all the corridors? But it was obvious that the person or Digimon in there was forsaken by the gods—doomed to a fate worse than death. There were tales of torture rivaling those in the medieval ages and the secret cells in Iraq where Saddam Hussein kept his political enemies. This cell was only rumored to exist—everyone was terrified of it, but no one really believed it existed. But then again, the Kaiser's brother was supposed to be dead—his corpse swept out to sea five months before. If someone hadn't witnessed the murder or died at the sight of him, he or she'd found the boy's body washed up on a beach in Hong Kong, or had told the rare tale: had seen his friends take him to the Digital World to be buried. But despite his fear, Kotemon entered.

He could see that this cell was not so much different from the others, although there was a heavier feeling of despair in the damp air. Also, there was no electricity—just some candles and lanterns burning off to give off light and heat. A closer examination proved that some of the lanterns were filled with some kind of glowing white arrowheads—obviously from Renamon's Fox Leaf Arrowhead attack. He fearfully wondered how many times anyone (namely the boy) had to be beaten with the attack in order to collect _that _many arrowheads to produce _that_ much light. There were the same shackles on a wall in the back, only new, shiny, black electronic instead of old, rusted, red iron. A family consisting of two women, a man, and a tiny baby, was sitting in front of a meager dinner of thin soup and stale bread—completely oblivious to their visitors because of the cloak of darkness. The baby was nursing from one of the women, and an extra place had been set on the stretch of stone floor that served as their table. Looking at the somber rations, Kotemon felt remorse for being allowed to have a bit more of a variety, including dry meat, partially molded cheese, and spoiling fruit and vegetables. His stomach nearly growled at the thought of the feast awaiting him back at his cell, but he really wasn't hungry for food. The only thing that could sate his appetite was the truth about this mysterious boy.

Reiyama practically threw the boy against the wall, slamming the electronic shackles shut tight on his wrists, and then locking the ones on his ankles, all in the crucifix position the Kaiser was notorious for using. The boy was now a few inches above the ground and completely helpless. And all the time Reiyama had chained him, the boy hadn't fought or struggled in any way. He calmly accepted his fate, as though he understood Death's ways, and kept them close to his heart. Perhaps that was why he spent all his time protecting the other slaves…

"Anything you want to say?" the Kaiser asked. The other boy remained silent. "Fine." He took his whip and began the lashes, all with the weighted mode. Each time, the boy looked to be in more and more pain—which he had to have been in—but something was providing him with hope. He continued taking hit after hit after hit, never flinching once.

And then finally, it stopped.

The Kaiser was clearly bored by now—the whole session of torture was merely a game for him—so he and Reiyama exited the cell. The cloak of darkness eventually wavered and dropped around the boy and Kotemon, revealing the boy to his family. Kotemon quickly hid in a dark corner so he wouldn't be spotted.

"Kouji!" cried one of the women, this one resembling him a lot. She ran over while the other woman tried to shield her baby's eyes from the cruel sight.

"The crucifix torture again?" she asked. The boy simply nodded his head, too tired to answer verbally. Had it not been for his warning to run, Kotemon would have thought he was mute.

The man came over, quickly forcing the shackles open, causing the boy to slump to the floor. As the boy sank to the stone, coughing up more blood, the man helped him stand, and they walked toward the women.

"Thanks, Dad," the boy whispered.

"Your hair tie," the first woman observed—obviously his mother.

"Got cut by the blade," he replied. "Mom, can I…"

"I had a bath ready for you," she informed. "I knew it would be hot out today, so I had it set early. I just didn't know that Kouichi would go so far in the beatings today." She cleared her throat to add more strength to it, but it was completely obvious that she couldn't stand the sight of her son in pain, or the thought of her other son inflicting the pain. "I saved some of the medicines and aloe I got from the other slaves when we got here. If you need to, go right ahead and use them."

"Don't worry," he assured. "I won't use too much." Painfully, he made his way to the area that housed the latrine, sink, and bath. Kotemon respected this aspect of the boy's right to privacy and decided to find out more about him and his family. This corner of the cell seemed to be more personal to the boy, holding some photographs of him and his friends. One photo featured a boy in goggles holding a soccer ball with a small pale boy in an orange hat; both boys were in an odd pose, utilizing the V-for-victory sign. There was another with an overweight boy teasing a girl with blonde hair while she threatened to hit him over the head with what appeared to be an aluminum baseball bat. The next was a real shocker: the same girl and the Kaiser kissing, while the destined ruler held up his hand to try and shove away the cameraman. It was amazing; the Kaiser was actually capable of love! But the next picture was even more surprising to see: the Kaiser, his girlfriend, and his brother—all three of them sitting on a bench. And they were happy, honestly and truly happy.

_Can that person really exist within the Kaiser?_ Kotemon wondered. He then glanced over at the twin, who had changed back into his clothes and was drying his hair with a dirty gray towel. _And can that happiness be inside him as well?_

"Satomi, do you need any help with Kouri?" the boy checked.

"Thank you, Kouji," she answered. "But are you sure you can hold her?"

"I still have some strength in me," he assured. He carefully lifted the baby and cradled her gently in his arms. It was unthinkable; the same strong warrior who had been forced into harsh slave labor was still gentle enough to hold a tiny baby. For a moment, Kotemon could detect a glimmer of happiness in his face. The boy—_Kouji,_ Kotemon corrected himself. _His name is Kouji_—seemed to be (for a moment, at least) the boy in the last photograph.

The family sat down to dinner, Kouji's mother praying for the strength to last through their enslavement, for Kouji's health, for thanks for their peasant's meal, and for the Kaiser's deliverance from evil. Their bread was too hard and stale to eat, so they dipped it into the soup, softening it. And during a lot of the time, Kouji gave the baby a taste of the softened bread and watery vegetable broth, ignoring his own need to eat. Kotemon wondered if all humans were this way, or if Kouji was the only one who put his own needs aside for someone else. Their dinner didn't take long to finish, and even some family members declared being full, so the bread and soup was saved for another time and another meal. Then they lay down on the cold stone floor and went to sleep. Kotemon left his hiding place and entered the shadows of another when Kouji came over to that corner to sleep. He shivered a couple of times, but he never once moved closer to his family for warmth. He seemed to be trying to keep them safe by staying away from them, like he was staying in one area so if the Kaiser decided he wanted to play again, no one else but he would get hurt. The black ring around his neck blinked a little bit, but eventually stopped as he fell asleep. Kotemon decided this was as good a time as any to get back to his cell, so he tried to escape. But the baby heard him leaving and began to cry. Kotemon tried everything he could to calm her down, but nothing worked, and he could hear footsteps approaching in the dark.

And the footsteps belonged to a boy with a blinking ring around his neck.

Despite how exhausted and beaten he'd been, Kouji was the one that had gotten up from his corner and picked up the baby. The blinking on his collar finally ended and he sat down next to his family, holding the baby.

"Shh," he soothed. "Kouri, it's all right. Somehow, we'll get Kouichi back. And if someone's out there, there's no reason to hide anymore. I've known you were here the whole time." Kotemon didn't emerge from his hiding spot in the shadows though. In his opinion, it was better to let Kouji think he was gone, so the tired boy could rest before having to face another day as his brother's slave.

The baby was still crying, and Kouji began reaching around in the darkness for something to calm her down with. Kotemon snuck behind Kouji and curiously reached one of his hands out to the baby. She giggled and grabbed his sleeve, alerting Kouji to his presence.

"So that's where you hid," Kouji realized, turning to see Kotemon. His eyes eventually adjusted to the darkness, and he saw who it was. "Hey, you're that Kotemon I helped before. What are you doing here?"

Kotemon didn't know why he was so flattered that Kouji had remembered him. "I, uh, just wanted to make sure you'd be okay."

"Thanks," he replied. "I appreciate it. By the way, I'm Kouji Minamoto."

"Yeah, I know that. You're the Kaiser's brother." He spat out "Kaiser" like a curse. Kouji nodded sadly and tried to get the baby to let go of Kotemon's sleeve.

"He needs that," he scolded.

"Who's this?" Kotemon questioned.

Kouji's disposition seemed to brighten a little. He wasn't overcome with enthusiasm as younger children would be, but he was noticeably less dejected. "She's my half-sister, Kouri Minamoto. You can blame the awful name on my dad and grandfather. They wanted another Kou child in the family. We share the same father, but my stepmother, Satomi, is her mother, while Tomoko is mine and Kouichi's."

"Oh," Kotemon answered, understanding. It was obvious that little Kouri was one of the reasons why Kouji was still alive after all these months. "Your sister's really little. How old is she?"

"Five or six months. She was born premature—in December. Satomi takes care of her most of the time, but it's basically my responsibility to see that Kouri smiles once in a while. No one can figure out why it's only me she smiles for."

"She loves you, that's why," Kotemon explained. "It's the same with your father, mother, and stepmother. Every time you have to go in for work detail, they know it could be the last time they see you alive. But they always act as though you will come back because if there's even one time that they don't, it's possible that you won't be." Kouji nodded, absorbing the information.

"Okay, Kouri," he decided. "It's time for you to get to sleep." He removed Kotemon's sleeve from her fist and began singing. It was the first song Kotemon had ever heard in his life, and it was in the last place anyone would expect to hear a song. But it was Kouji's own creation, and it was hopeful yet sad, full of regret, so it fit in perfectly with their surroundings.

Kouri was finally asleep, her small fist tightly holding her brother's finger. Kotemon now felt he'd overstayed his welcome and quietly slipped out of the cell, pushing on a certain place on the door that caused it to open. He considered calling them all to escape, but something felt wrong about the situation. Besides, he couldn't abandon his cellmates like that.

Luckily for him, everyone was asleep on that cellblock, and the Kaiser never bothered to place guards in the cellblocks to keep an eye on the slaves, so it was a rather uneventful run to Cell 22B, Cellblock 31, where he was able to surprise Sakiko and Koemon, who had stayed up the whole time, waiting for him.

"For a moment there, we were sure you'd escaped," Sakiko commented.

"No," Kotemon replied. "You know I wouldn't abandon you guys. You're my best friends. Besides, I had to track down the truth about Garmmon." Once he said that, he wished he hadn't.

"Oh, I forgot you were partnered with him today," Koemon remembered. "Sit down and eat while you tell us what you found out."

Kotemon removed his helmet and sat down to the bowl of food in front of him, but he didn't eat it. The image of Kouji's family was permanently impressed in his head. His baby-blue eyes brimmed with tears at the memory. If this bowl of half-rotted table scraps was a feast to Kotemon, he could just imagine what the watery soup and month-old bread were to the Kimura-Minamoto family.

"Well?" Sakiko demanded impatiently.

"Garmmon and Wolfmon are one and the same," he explained, still ignoring his food. Sakiko and Koemon stared at him in disbelief. "It's true. I stepped on a landmine and he slide evolved into Wolfmon so he could defuse it. He has a mine defuser that he keeps around his neck—I guess in case something happens like it did to me. There was some kind of black ring around his neck, and it alerted the Kaiser when he evolved."

"The Kaiser must control his evolution," Sakiko realized. "And when he goes against orders, the Kaiser always knows."

"You'd better eat up," Koemon advised.

"I'm not hungry, not after what I've seen," Kotemon replied. "I also saw where Wolfmon's cell is. It's the forbidden one—Cell 24." Both Koemon and Sakiko gasped in shock. Not even they could believe that the Kaiser would actually keep someone in there. "It's not as bad as legend says, but it's very depressing to be in. That's where the Kaiser keeps his family: his father, mother, stepmother, and sister." And brother,Kotemon added to himself. For some inexplicable reason, he felt as though he had to protect Kouji's identity. "He has this crucifix torture rack set up in there, and he beat Wolfmon in there, right in front of his family." Fortunately for Kotemon, neither Sakiko nor Koemon noticed his little slip-up there, but he made sure to be more careful with the remainder of his story. "The Kaiser made sure his family couldn't see what was going on by placing up a shield of darkness, blocking all sound and making them invisible." He would keep the rest to himself, Kotemon decided. There was no need to explain everything that he'd seen.

"You three," Reiyama alerted. For a brief second, Kotemon was afraid that the Kaiser's shadow had heard the whole thing, but then he realized that he or Koemon would have sensed Reiyama's presence. And also, they were whispering too low for anyone to hear.

"Yes?" Koemon asked innocently.

"Girl, you're working with Garmmon tomorrow," Reiyama informed, pointing to Sakiko. "The Kotemon will be with a Gazimon and the Koemon with a Shiisamon."

"Yes, sir," they answered, pretending to be submissive once more. When Reiyama was gone, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was a close one," Koemon realized.

"Yeah," Kotemon agreed.

"Come on, let's get to bed," Sakiko decided, pulling up a worn beige blanket over her slender frame. They all knew that somewhere on that base, the Kaiser was sleeping in silk sheets, and they all prayed to their various gods that the Resistance would win so they wouldn't have to get his leftovers anymore. Koemon snuggled in her course brown blanket made from a burlap sack, while Kotemon tried to make himself comfortable in a moth-eaten cotton blanket. It dawned on him that Kouji and his family had no blankets and relied on each other's body heat to keep warm, although Kouji shivered in that corner by himself. Kotemon promised himself that the next morning, he'd use his blanket to bundle up his rations from that night and slip them to Sakiko, so she could deliver them to the Kimura-Minamoto family. _Knowing Sakiko, she would want to see that cell, anyway, _he realized.

The words of Kouji's depressing song haunted Kotemon's mind. Finally, he called, "Hey, Sakiko."

"Hmm?" she mumbled.

"Do you sing?"

"Not really, sorry. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Just thought it would be nice to have some music playing in this awful place once in a while."

And with those last words, he finally fell to sleep.

___Mercenary: non-controlled member of the Imperial Guard_

___Soldier: controlled Imperial Guard member_

**I own neither _Digimon _nor any of the songs used in this. The line "Don't you know anything" was taken from _Rugrats_. This story is very much inspired by "Doppelgangland," by Ken's luver, who helped me work on this while I helped her with "Doppel." Naturally, there's a lot of inspiration going both ways.**


	4. Atarashii Taiyou

_"To know courage,  
__To know tears,  
__It's come to the world."  
__Taichi Yagami—"Atarashii Taiyou"  
__(Translated by Riah-chan)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Two: "Atarashii Taiyou"

It was early in the morning when Sakiko and Koemon awoke to the sound of their cellmate scurrying about the cell. Both of the females cracked open their eyes to see him running around, desperately cramming his leftover food into his helmet.

"Kotemon, what on Earth are you doing?" Sakiko questioned, tucking a lock of brown hair behind her ear.

"Just getting something for the Kaiser's family," he answered in his sweet childish voice. "You have to deliver this to them, Sakiko. If you saw the way he made them live…"

"I promise I'll give it to them," Sakiko vowed. But Kotemon still seemed upset. "What is it?"

"If something goes wrong today, Garmmon's going to try and protect you. Don't let him—whatever you do, don't let him help you. The Kaiser uses that as his excuse to torture him. Don't let him have an excuse to do that. Garmmon's always protected us, so it's our turn to protect him."

"I won't," she promised, bending down and extending her pinky, like she did when she was little. "Pinky swear." She then helped Kotemon tie his blanket around the helmet. "There. Done just the way Mom used to tie a napkin around my lunch." There was a tear in her eye as she said this, but she secretly wiped it away. Kotemon nearly kicked himself for his ignorance. How could he be so stupid to forget? Today was the sixteenth—it was officially three months since Sakiko's mother died!

Her mother, Nari Ayamisa, had been murdered by one of the Kaiser's many mercenaries. And Nari had done nothing except criticize the way the two worlds rapidly placed a mere boy on the throne. Sakiko could never forget the sound of the shot that rang from the sniper rifle as the fatal bullet flew out, careening into her mother's chest. Her father had selfishly committed suicide a day later, leaving his only child to become a full-time fighter for the Resistance. That was where she had been trained in the graceful art of fighting: hand-to-hand combat, the martial arts, boxing, fencing, and even the use of a gun (which she was very skilled with). Sadly, her entire unit had been captured long before she could complete her training, so she never got to learn more than that. Though she hid it well, Sakiko was a very accomplished fighter—the best in her class. She only hid it to conserve her skills for a time when they'd be needed. Unlike many warriors, Sakiko knew when to wait for the right fight.

"So will we all get to see the Kaiser's family?" Koemon asked. Kotemon nodded.

"Even though it was night, I managed to memorize the way there. When the Kaiser is gone, we'll sneak in."

"So what's his family like?" Koemon questioned.

"They're much nicer than he is. His stepmother has a baby girl named Kouri." Kotemon smiled at Koemon, who nearly squealed in delight. Many Digimon (namely the uncorrupted ones) were fascinated by humans—particularly babies. And Kouri definitely had the effect of melting anyone's heart. "They're sad, but at the same time, they manage to hold onto a little bit of hope."

"That's nice to hear," Sakiko commented. "Hope is something we all need in order to survive here."

"So tell me more about them," Koemon requested.

Kotemon went into description of the entire family, being careful to leave out details of Kouji. Nobody said his name because nobody knew it. The last people to have seen him before the Kaiser's reign started were his friends, and they'd been too brokenhearted to tell the world his name. So from then on, Kouji's name was lost in the sands of time, with him becoming known only as "the Kaiser's brother," an entity without a name or identity of his own. And for some reason—barely explicable to man or Digimon—through the five months that had passed, the legend of the Digimon Kaiser had remained in tact, as though someone had written it down, like the word of any of the various gods of the inhabitants of Earth and the Digital World. Even the atheists and heretics treated this tale with the utmost respect, as though it held the answers to the universe. The story, although still unwritten, was always the same: The Kaiser—no, Kouichi—was sitting on the beach sand when Kouji confronted him to talk. Then Kouichi mysteriously gained his whip and attacked his brother. Kouji had his body slashed through and bruised, and then Kouichi tried to strangle him, electrocuting him. Their friends were only moments too late. The one girl in their group held Kouji as his last breaths escaped him. But the epilogue to that story—the fate of Kouji's body—was what had been spun into various webs, with the only ones who knew the truth being Kotemon, Kouji's parents and stepmother, Kouri, the Kaiser, and Kouji himself. Perhaps the Kaiser's legend hadn't altered because it was already graphic enough for those who wanted gore, realistic for those who wanted a more historical account, tragic enough for those who wanted to cry, toned down enough for those who wanted hope, or even…

Or it was possible it had remained because it was true.

Yes, this had to be it. The story had not altered because after years of cloak-and-dagger, false advertising, sensationalism, cults and mysterious religious sects, and other lies and deceptions, people finally wanted the truth. Well, the people who weren't under the Kaiser's influence wanted the truth, anyway. Yes, those who had seen the truth behind the Kaiser's deceit were the ones who'd stuck to the path of truth.

Kotemon had just gotten to describing the photographs—namely the picture of the Kaiser and his girlfriend—when his and Koemon's acute senses honed in on a human presence.

"What is it?" Sakiko asked, noticing the looks on their faces.

"Reiyama," Kotemon answered. Quickly, they de-organized their cell a bit to make it look as though they'd only just woken up and eaten breakfast.

"Hope you're ready for a long day's work," Reiyama greeted sinisterly. It took all of their self-control not to say, "Hope you're ready to kiss the Kaiser's—" then it would split into the swear words of Japanese and English. But they calmly walked out.

"You promise, right?" Kotemon checked, whispering to Sakiko. She nodded.

"Hey," Reiyama called, causing all three to freeze in their tracks. "What happened to the Kotemon's helmet?"

"Cracked," Sakiko answered. "We wrapped it in the blanket to remind ourselves to repair it later."

"You won't have the chance," Reiyama informed, slurs somehow making his voice a little more menacing than his usual sadistic drawl. "Kaiser's getting rid of some slaves; 'specially the ones on Cellblock 18."

"That's where Cell 24 is," Koemon commented, her eyes wide with fear.

"Yep. So if you're lucky, you might get a chance to see who he's been hidin' in there," Reiyama commented. The reason behind his unusual slurs was revealed as he exhaled close to Sakiko. His breath held the reek of alcohol. He stumbled into the cell and tossed Kotemon his helmet. "Better take it now. You can trade for repair items on your li'l black market you got going." There was no black market, but in his drunkenness, he couldn't even realize that he shouldn't have entered the cell. They had the chance to lock him in there, to pay him back for all the months of terror he'd inflicted upon them, but they decided against it. It was as though something was telling them that he would meet a fate that would serve as justice for all he'd done, and it would come without their assistance. So they simply walked over to line up next to their partners and began whispering to each other.

"We're heading for the beach again," Sakiko informed. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Nope," Kotemon answered confidently.

"But what if the Kaiser's brother washes up on shore?" Koemon questioned. Like most of the slaves, she and Sakiko believed that myth.

"I don't think he will," Kotemon affirmed. "Besides," he added, walking near Garmmon, "as long as there's something to fight for, the Kaiser's brother is still with us." He stole a momentary glance at Garmmon, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.

This battle had obviously been a victory for the Resistance, judging by all the Imperial weapons scattered on the battlefield. This war was rarely about claiming territory, unlike the wars of old, but was instead army against army, shooting until the other side finally got the sense to surrender. All the weapons of mass destruction had been put out of order under the edict of the Kaiser. He always tried to paint the portrait of a kind and just ruler ("If 'kind and just' fit the description of 'tyrant,'" Sakiko had commented bitterly), but he continued to use vicious weapons such as landmines whenever he could. Someone on the Resistance had mysteriously shut down the military satellites, so they could ambush the Kaiser undetected. All the former leaders of the world and the international ambassadors were hidden away by the Resistance for their own protection. There was speculation that American President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair were hidden on one of the Digital World's moons while Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had "accidentally" been ejected into the orbit of Earth, but the rumors had never been proven.

Another aspect in this war was the near-absence of death on the Kaiser's side. The Resistance rarely used anything but stun weapons, but the Imperial Guard was always firing bullets into the men, women, and children—both human and Digimon—that fought against the child tyrant of both worlds. The Resistance never left weapons or their dead and injured lying around where they could fall into enemy hands—something that Kotemon had yet to figure out. And they also seemed to take the dead and seriously wounded Imperials, which was unusual in conventional warfare. But then again, this was no conventional war.

"These don't look like they can be used at all," Sakiko commented, tossing several burnt rifles into a sack she was carrying on her back. Garmmon was carrying another too, but Sakiko only filled it with whatever wouldn't fit in hers. "So, your other forms are Wolfmon and Strabimon?"

"Who told you?" Garmmon asked.

"I just hear it around." Sakiko had grown attached to Kotemon and didn't want to get him in trouble. "Someone put two and two together and figured out your other form. Besides, it's common knowledge that your Child form is Strabimon. I mean, everyone heard after the incident when you devolved in front of that Koemon…"

"Strabimon isn't my true devolved form," Garmmon corrected. Sakiko looked at him, surprised. "I only become him when something goes wrong, or if I'm forced to devolve when someone's around. It's a safety mechanism in my evolutions that Kouichi likes to take advantage of."

Sakiko had never heard anyone call the Kaiser by his real name before, so now she was completely curious about Garmmon. "So what is your true form?"

"A human."

Sakiko laughed at this. "That's a new one. Come on, you don't have to lie to me. I can keep a secret."

"It's the truth."

Sakiko was still laughing at this, which kept her from watching where she was going. When she heard the click of another landmine, her mind floated back to the promise she'd made Kotemon. She wasn't supposed to let Garmmon save her.

"Slide Evolution! Wolfmon!" He took out the defuser Kotemon had mentioned and walked closer to Sakiko.

"Don't," she warned. "I can take care of this." She opened up the circuit panel and began unplugging wires and using their electrical charges to try and short out all the circuits.

"You don't know which wires to use," Wolfmon argued. "Let me help."

"No!" she cried. "I can do this on my own!"

"Quit being stubborn!"

"You stop being stubborn! Not everyone needs to be rescued, you know. Ouch!" A small electrical shock burned her fingers, and she instinctively stuck them in her mouth. Without her hands to block the panel, Wolfmon came over and began searching through the wires to see which ones were needed to defuse. "No. Don't. Please. I promised…"

"You promised what?" Wolfmon questioned. Sakiko looked down, noticing the red blinking symbols on the ring around his neck. She knew the Kaiser was already coming. It was too late to try and keep Wolfmon from facing another beating.

"I promised Kotemon that I wouldn't let you help me so you wouldn't have to go through that round of torture again."

He looked up in surprise. "You know Kotemon?"

"Yeah. He and the Koemon you saved two months ago are my cellmates, and my best friends. He made me promise today that I wouldn't let you face that torture again."

Several bands of DigiCode wrapped around Wolfmon, devolving him. He was a human, just as he'd said. He looked directly at Sakiko with the most beautiful pair of crystal blue eyes she had ever seen.

_Wait till Koemon discovers her crush is human, _she thought. _I can't believe this. It's like some kind of dream._

"And he said that?" her rescuer questioned. Sakiko remembered the last thing she'd said aloud, but she still couldn't recover from this shock. She suddenly lost her voice and was only able to nod. "I haven't had a friend like that in a long time. I miss the feeling." He returned to his job of defusing the mine, only to feel the sharp sting of the Kaiser's bladed whip.

"You devolved to your true form?" he demanded. The other boy ignored him and returned to defusing the mine, only to feel the whip's blade once more. "You answer me when I address you!" Still, the Kaiser was ignored and the mine attended to.

"Taken care of," he told Sakiko, only to be met with the impossibly sharp blade again. This time, the blade hit his back, snagging his jacket. He let his arms go back as the jacket was ripped off his back. Sakiko could see why he wore that jacket, even in this heat. His arms were crisscrossed with cuts and bruises, and she suspected that his left arm had been nearly broken at least once.

"Colonel Reiyama!" called a Shiisamon and a Gazimon. Sakiko hadn't even realized the Kaiser had been accompanied by his shadow.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding much more sober than he'd been a few hours ago. _Maybe he was having a hangover or something, _Sakiko reasoned. The man didn't look like someone who could take his own alcohol, and that had been several hours ago, so it was possible.

"The Koemon and Kotemon we were working with disappeared," Gazimon explained. Sakiko felt a surge of happiness within her. Her friends were here somewhere! Her face didn't show her excitement, though. She used to play cards with her parents, so she knew how to put her poker face to good use. She also knew how to take advantage of a situation, and did this by snatching the defuser and placing it in one place she knew they wouldn't look.

"My lord," Reiyama addressed, making both Sakiko and her rescuer sick to their stomachs, "I must deal with this at the moment."

"I'll join you after I take care of this incident," the Kaiser stated, screwing the weight onto his whip. He then raised it above his head and brought it down on the slave's back, forcing him to the sand. Sakiko cringed as he fell—never once showing his pain, but it was obvious that he could barely remain conscious, let alone walk. Then the Kaiser turned to her, his words dripping with acidy venom: "Do you know who this is?" She shook her head, not desiring to make contact with the angry eyes that were almost identical to the ones that had pulled her in. "Good," the Kaiser answered, "a slave who knows her place, unlike this piece of trash here!" He whistled loudly, summoning an Airdramon before he kicked the boy in the ribs. "Get on the Airdramon!" This shout was followed by another kick, and then another hit with the weighted whip. "Something tells me that you won't be sharing his fate," the Kaiser commented to Sakiko as he lifted his slave by the back of his shirt and threw him onto the Digimon that would be serving as their transport. Then he got on, keeping one foot on the injured slave (slowly adding pressure as the boy tried to breathe) and they took off for base. Sakiko removed the defuser from the place she'd hid it—her mouth—and spat on the ground, partly to get the sound out of her mouth, and partly—_mostly_—as a curse for the Kaiser. After wrapping the defuser's cord around her wrist, she picked up the jacket from the sand and held it to her heart, still shocked of the young man's severe beating.

"Kotemon! Koemon!" she called. They came running.

"No time to talk," Kotemon explained, holding his wrapped helmet and running as fast as his little legs would take him. "We have to help Kouji!"

"His name is Kouji?" Koemon asked.

"Yeah," Kotemon answered.

"I can't believe it," Koemon declared. "The Kaiser's brother is alive."

"The Kaiser's brother?" Sakiko repeated.

"Didn't you pay attention?" Kotemon questioned. "The hair, the eyes—all identical?"

"Sorry," Sakiko apologized sarcastically, "but I was standing on a bomb at the time! Forgive me for caring more about my life than about two people I didn't know looked alike!" In reality, she had noticed, but it was only Kouji's eyes that had held her attention.

They took a few shortcuts and beat the Kaiser to the base. Kotemon led the way to the forbidden cell, stopping quickly upon seeing the Kaiser, who hadn't used the cloak of darkness this time. He was shoving his injured brother across the hall, forcing him to walk. Several times, Kouji would be thrown into cell doors, causing him to face several new bruises.

Finally, the Kaiser reached the door to Cell 24, activating the shield of darkness.

"Come on!" Kotemon whispered. They ran into the cloak of shadows, keeping away from the Kaiser's wrath.

Again, the Kimura-Minamotos hadn't heard the door hiss open, so they were completely oblivious to the events that occurred from there. The Kaiser threw Kouji against the back wall, and then forced him to stand just so he could pinch the shackles on his twin's wrists and ankles. Next, he placed his whip on blade mode and let the sickle-shaped blade bite into Kouji's skin, over and over until his yellow T-shirt was literally in tatters, just barely staying on his body. Then he added the weight and electricity. And all that time, the trio was frozen in fear, Sakiko still clutching Kouji's jacket until her knuckles turned white. At last, the Kaiser turned and left, removing the invisibility shield only from himself.

They ran to Kouji, abandoning their parcels. Sakiko took the defuser and pried open a panel. Kouji was barely conscious at this point, and he didn't seem to recognize their presence.

"Stupid shackles!" Sakiko cursed, unable to short-circuit the electronic cuffs.

"Wait!" Kotemon announced. "I've got an idea!" He ran over to his package and unwrapped it, taking an overly ripened plum from his helmet. He held it over one of the shackles on Kouji's ankles and applied some pressure, forcing juice to drip onto the cuff, short-circuiting it. Koemon opened the cuff while Kotemon got to work on the other ankle.

"Kotemon, you are a genius!" Sakiko declared excitedly. Once Kouji's feet were free, Kotemon passed the leaking fruit to Sakiko, who freed his arms while Kotemon and Koemon stepped out of the way. The cloaking was suddenly broken, and the entire family was alerted to their presence. Sakiko placed Kouji's right arm around her neck to help him stand.

"We have to get this ring off his neck," she informed. Kouji's hand slowly moved toward his pocket, where he'd hidden a blue-and-black device.

"The digivice," his mother realized, taking it from his hand. She pressed the top against the ring, releasing a bluish-white light that cracked the ring, which fell off and broke. The sound of a sharp intake of breath escaped Kouji, like he was in pain. He lost his grip on reality and hit the hard, cold stone floor.

"I should have known," his mother continued. "That's why he never tried to break it in the first place."

"Why?" Koemon questioned.

"Kouji has the Spirits of Light, and like any of the Chosen Children, if he uses them too often, he suffers severe energy loss," his stepmother explained.

"But I don't understand," Sakiko commented, placing the blanket over Kouji. "How is he still alive? One of his friends held him as he died. How come he's still alive?"

"Kouji was near death when the other Chosen brought him back," his father replied. "In fact, it was so bad that we thought he was dead. His breathing was very shallow and his heartbeat was nearly nonexistent. The Chosen told us to call Tomoko so they could tell the story all at once, which they did. They stayed for three hours, too shaken up to leave. Finally, their families came and brought them home. About half an hour later, Kouji opened his eyes. That was when Kouichi came. He attacked us, all of us. Kouji just managed to pull himself out of bed to confront his brother. He held out his digivice, but he didn't even have the strength to hold it. Kouichi was furious when he saw Kouji was still alive, and nearly killed him, but something inside him decided that killing Kouji wasn't enough. That was when he decided to use Kouji as his slave, so he could kill him slowly, one day at a time."

"But those pictures…" Kotemon protested. "The Kaiser wasn't always like this, was he?"

"It's true that Kouichi was once evil, but he'd been under Cherubimon's power," Tomoko Kimura admitted. "And he reformed. Then something happened. He began getting more and more depressed, and his anger and violence began increasing. Five minutes later, he'd be his normal self, with barely a memory of what he'd just said or done. None of us could figure out what was wrong with him."

"It was around the time Kouri was born," Satomi Minamoto continued. "Kouichi had been dating Izumi Orimoto for a few months and he never showed his temper around her. But then he suddenly lost it with her, and Izumi came to Kouji for help. Kouji decided to talk it over with Kouichi in front of everybody, so if there was a problem, they could all solve it. But Kouichi ended up shouting at their youngest friend, Tomoki Himi, and it was the last straw for Kouji, who'd seen his brother doing too many things that weren't part of his normal personality. Kouichi ran off, with Kouji right behind him. The other Chosen couldn't catch up, so it was up to Kouji to get the answers on his own. And you know the rest of the story of what happened on that beach."

"He's not all evil," Kouji whispered, unable to move from his position on the cold gray stones. "The Kaiser is someone else, controlling Kouichi. Somewhere in his mind, he's been told that we're the enemy and that he's superior, just like whatever Cherubimon used to tell him."

"Then there's hope?" Kotemon questioned.

"Only if I let the other Chosen know," Kouji replied, trying to get up, but the sheer effort of it was exhausting. "Kouichi only gets this sick pleasure of watching me suffer because the Kaiser is controlling him." He finally got a good look at his other two rescuers. "Who are you two?"

"I'm Sakiko Ayamisa, and this is Koemon."

"Hello," Koemon added. "I'm the one that found out your identity of Strabimon, remember?"

"Yes," Kouji answered, seeming to lose consciousness. "I remember…"

That sudden weakness in Kouji brought Sakiko back to her senses. Instantaneously, she remembered the warning Reiyama had given them earlier.

"The Kaiser's switching around the cells," she informed. "He's planning on eliminating a few of his slaves. I think he means you. It's time we all escaped. Take only what you need." Koemon took Kotemon's helmet and added bread from the Kimura-Minamotos' rations. Sakiko helped Kouji stand and grabbed his digivice. The rest of the family took their necessities—including several photo albums—while Kotemon snatched Kouji's photos and stuffed them in the pocket of the blue jacket that had been discarded on the floor. Then he rolled up the blue fleece and placed it under his arm.

They quickly snuck out of the door with all the anticipation of World War II prisoners ready to escape their internment camp. With a few careful trips down the ramps and stairs, they reached the lowest level, where several transport trucks were parked.

"It's around dinner time," Koemon noticed. "Time for all the slaves to come back in."

"Yeah," Kotemon agreed. "No one'll notice a truck going out to pick up the slaves."

"I'll drive," Kouji's father volunteered.

"No," Sakiko warned. "I will. The other slaves would be suspicious of a man they didn't know, but they know that I don't mean trouble. You just stay in the back with…"

"With who?" asked a sinister drawl. Sakiko turned her head to see Reiyama, who was brandishing a gun. Swiftly, she handed Kouji to his father and grabbed the mercenary's arm, twisting it behind his back. She then grabbed his gun and whacked it over his head, causing the colonel to fall unconscious. For a moment, she held her finger on the trigger, but that odd conscience loomed on her again, forcing her to only steal the man's keys and secure the pistol in her back pocket.

"That takes care of one mess," she decided. "Come on!"

They scrambled in the back of a truck. Sakiko helped Kouji into it and ran to the driver's seat, where it took her a little while to figure out which key started it. But the correct key eventually showed itself, and she turned the ignition.

_Thank you, Dad, for teaching me to drive when I was ten, _she thought, zooming out of the base. The strong tires plowed through the sand with some trouble, but Sakiko quickly got the vehicle on the deserted highway. In back, Kotemon was passing around the food. Kouji was too tired to eat, so he slept in the back. Sakiko graciously accepted a wedge of cheese with the mold broken off of it and munched on it as she made her way down the empty roads.

Not much longer later, she looked out the window and saw an Imperial check post.

"Uh-oh," she commented, waking up Kouji. "Doesn't look too good. I'm going to have to turn away."

"Just pretend you're lost," he weakly suggested from behind.

"Driving this?" Sakiko questioned. "Somehow I don't think that the Imperial Guard is just going to let me drive on through with a shipment of slaves."

"Just say that you're transporting us from Cell 24," Kouji instructed. "Once they hear that, they'll know to let you through." He reached forward, offering his bandana.

"What's this for?"

"Your hair's too noticeable. You'd be recognized easily upon escaping."

"You should talk," she muttered angrily, knowing that Kouji's haircut made him an easy target. All anyone had to do was stop everyone that looked exactly like the Kaiser, and that wasn't too hard with his influence. But Kouji was also right. Only half of Sakiko's hair was actually brown, and it shared her head with hair she'd dyed florescent purple. She quickly tucked her hair into a crude bun and tied the bandana over it before driving up to the checkpoint.

"Name?" the officer in charge asked.

"I'm delivering a shipment of slaves," Sakiko answered, using a deep voice.

"From where?"

"Cell 24."

The officer's face turned white. "Go right ahead," he ordered. Sakiko nodded and drove through to freedom.

-------  
It was sunset when they ditched the truck and found a Resistance settlement, and the Fox Leaf Arrowhead lanterns were seeing quite a bit of use. Kouji was wearing his jacket again, but with the hood covering his head and face, as everyone had agreed that it was better if his identity remained undisclosed.

A very tall, rather deep-voiced, fourteen-year-old boy with spiky brown hair (the tips dyed blond) rapidly counted the party as they waited to enter his tunnel complex, known affectionately as the Underground Railroad, after the system that had brought the African-American slaves to freedom in the 1800s.

"Two Digimon, six humans?" he checked, trying to see if anyone was near Kouji, who was hiding in the shadows.

"Actually, he's trying to find his friends," Sakiko corrected. "Would it be okay if you told him where they are? One of them is Izumi Orimoto."

"I don't know," their conductor answered. "He might be a spy."

"He isn't," Satomi assured. "We can all vouch for him personally."

"Hold on a second," the conductor said. He entered further into the tunnel and returned with a twenty-year-old young man.

"Mrs. Minamoto?" the newcomer recognized.

"Minamoto?" the conductor repeated under his breath.

"And the rest of you?" the other continued. "My brother and everyone else will be ecstatic to see you all alive and well."

"Please," Kotemon pleaded. "All our friend wants to do is find the others."

"All right," the young conductor finally complied. "You can reach them by heading west." He pointed into the setting sun. "But be careful. Wild rumors are going around that the Kaiser's looking for someone. If anyone even thinks you're with him, you could wind up dead in a gutter somewhere."

"Take my gun," Sakiko offered, but Kouji shook his head.

"You might still need it," he whispered. He then hugged his family goodbye and shook Koemon's and Kotemon's hands. "Thanks, guys, especially you, Kotemon. I owe you my life."

"No you don't," he replied. "You saved mine, so just think of what I did as repaying the favor, or paying it forward to help someone else."

"Well, thanks anyway, and to you too, Sakiko."

"You're welcome," she answered, locking his lips with hers. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, searching around, but he quickly—and politely—pulled away. Throughout the kiss, someone's face had entered his mind's eye. He didn't know why it was _this _face of anyone that could haunt him, but he knew he had to see this person. He had to find her, to talk to her. After all, that's what best friends were supposed to do. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have done that."

"No," he answered. "It's okay. But just save that for someone who deserves it."

And he turned and walked into the sunset taking with him the courage he'd found and the tears he'd spilled. A new sun would dawn on him; it would dawn on them all.

**The "You are a genius" was part of one of Prince Metternich's lines in a play my friends and I had to do in history last year. The idea of everybody loving Kouji... Well, blame that on my CCS anime and manga. In that, everyone loves Yukito—Sakura, Shaoran, Touya… I kind of used a little bit of that, only it really can be seen in Sakiko. **


	5. Holy Light

_"Holy light, shine softly in the darkness  
__And show us tomorrow's path  
__Holy light, give me courage to face the future  
__True courage, eternally."  
__Hikari Yagami—"Holy Light"  
__(Translated by Megchan)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Three: "Holy Light"

Shutumon hovered in the sky for a moment, watching the sunset, as well as the newest shipment of escapees from Kouichi's base. She was silently wishing them good luck when she observed that one girl in the group was wearing a bandana that reminded her very much of Kouji's. It was almost as if Kouji was still there, standing next to her…

There was that heartache again.

It happened every time she remembered that day. It had been five months since she'd held his limp body in her arms, the stillness of death consuming him as his breathing slowed to a stop. She closed her eyes as a tear dampened the mask she wore over her mouth. She slid the mask down in order to take a deep breath of the sweet spring air before glancing down once more to look at the newcomers. One was slowly walking off into the sunset, as though he was looking for someone. In a way, it was reminiscent of how Kouji always left after a battle…

Looking back on it again, she regretted having said those words:

"Kouji?" she had asked, meeting up with him outside his house.

"What is it?" he questioned. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes there is," she replied.

Kouji opened the door, ushering her in. Inside was the unmistakable sound of a baby crying. "Come on," he insisted. "My dad and stepmom are home, but I'll tell them that you need to talk to me uninterrupted."

"Thank you," she answered.

"Dad, Satomi, I'm home," he announced.

"Your father went to the store to get something for Kouri's cold," Satomi informed. She walked toward the front door, holding the tiny newborn. "Oh, Izumi, I didn't know you were coming. Are you staying for dinner?"

"No thank you, Mrs. Minamoto," she replied. "I only came to tell Kouji something. It won't take long."

"Okay," Satomi answered. "Kouji, could you please take Kouri for me? She only seems to stop crying for you."

"Sure," he agreed, taking the small child. "You don't mind, Izumi, do you?"

"No, of course not," she assured. She carefully placed her finger in Kouri's hand. The baby gripped it tightly, not wanting to let go. With that simple action, things just felt right in the world again.

"You had something to tell me," Kouji remembered.

"Oh yeah." Izumi withdrew her finger from Kouri's fist, losing that feeling of security.

"Tell me in her room," Kouji instructed. "I think I have to change her diaper."

Kouri's room was a traditional nursery: a crib against the wall, waiting for when she was out of the basinet in her parents' room; soft pink wallpaper; a changing table stocked with diapers and wipes; and a closet and dresser filled with clothes she'd probably never fit into. Kouji set Kouri on the changing table and began to unfasten the tape on her diaper.

"So what's the problem?" he asked.

"I'm not sure where to begin," Izumi started, sitting down and fidgeting with the hem of her lavender skirt. This skirt was longer than her old one, and much warmer as it was made of thicker material.

"Just try. I won't be able to help if I don't know what's wrong."

"You've noticed how Kouichi's been having attitude problems?"

"Yeah. A couple of days ago, he threw a book at me. I don't know why. And he didn't remember it an hour later."

"That's what bugs me. He's losing his temper, starting fights—sometimes finishing them too. But he doesn't seem to even know he's doing it."

Kouji finished changing his sister's diaper and picked her up, turning to face Izumi.

"Something tells me that isn't all." As usual, his voice was serious, but it held a more compassionate tone now. He was truly and deeply concerned about her. "Izumi, what did he do to you?"

"It wasn't so much what he did as it was what he said. We were walking through the park when we just began talking about life. I was saying how beautiful it was, and he just went on about how everything had to come to an end. I thought he was suicidal because it might explain his attitude, but when I asked him about it, he told me that he didn't want my interference and asked why he should take advice from an inferior creature. Those were his words."

Kouji's face was grim with suppressed anger. One thing they'd all learned during their time in the Digital World was that Kouji wouldn't stand for anyone—even his own brother—hurting any member of the team in any way. It was most likely the reason why he'd risked his life on numerous occasions, or fought personal vendettas on his own: so he couldn't attract the danger to the others.

"I'm going to talk to him," he decided in such a tone that it was futile to even think about arguing with him.

"Not alone," Izumi begged. "You know he's losing control."

"I won't be alone," he assured. "I'm calling the others first. We'll meet near the beach. If there's something wrong with Kouichi, we can all deal with it, just the way we've always done."

He went into the kitchen and quickly dialed the others. Kouichi was the only one reluctant to come, but he agreed anyway.

"Satomi, I'm going out for a little while," Kouji informed, handing Kouri to his stepmother.

"Will you be back in time for dinner?" she checked.

"No, I don't think so. Don't wait for me." And he headed out the door with Izumi. Nobody was aware that those were the last words he'd say to his stepmother.

The walk to the meeting area wasn't very long, but the others were all there before Kouji and Izumi arrived.

"Kouji, please get around to explaining why we're all here before you waste any more of my life," Kouichi urged in an annoyed tone.

Kouji glared at his brother with a look that could kill three people within a second of coming in contact with his eyes. But Kouichi stared back with a glare of his own, one containing a sense of superiority. Choosing to ignore it, Kouji turned to the others.

"I think it's pretty evident that there's a problem with one of us," he said. "My _onii-san_—and I use the term loosely—seems to be having trouble controlling his temper, and suddenly has a total disregard for life. It sounds like Kouichi might be suicidal."

"She told you, didn't she?" Kouichi roared, lunging for Izumi. Kouji extended his right arm in front of her in a gesture of protection.

"Look, we only want to help," Tomoki reasoned. "How can we?"

"You can help by keeping out of my life!" Kouichi shouted. Tomoki bit his lip to keep himself from crying, but the other Chosen could all see a couple of tears sliding down his face. "Does the little baby want to cry?"

"Enough!" Kouji interrupted. "What is your problem?"

Kouichi turned and walked away. It took every ounce of Kouji's carefully attained self-control not to go up and punch him right there and then. Instead, he turned to Tomoki, who was still trying to keep from crying.

"You okay?" he checked. Tomoki nodded and his tears eventually stopped. Several months before, Kouji's compassion would have shocked them, but he'd grown more understanding with the discovery of his brother and the birth of his half-sister.

"So what are we going to do about him now?" Junpei asked.

"You still think he's suicidal?" Takuya questioned.

"I don't know anymore," Izumi replied.

"You think one of us should talk to him?" Tomoki asked.

"I'll do it," Kouji volunteered.

"Yeah," Takuya agreed. "You're brothers. He'll listen to you better than to anyone else."

Kouji nodded in agreement and began walking toward his brother's destination.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Izumi commented. Just as she said this, a bright light emerged from the pocket of her vest. She reached in and pulled out her cell phone, which rapidly returned to its form as a D-scanner, complete with her Spirits of Wind. The boys also removed their phones, finding digivices in their place. "This can't be good. I don't think we should leave Kouji alone."

Takuya looked into the distance, where Kouji was already beginning to run. "Yeah," he finally agreed. "Let's go after them."

They walked along the same path, breaking into a run when Kouji was out of sight. For a while, they weren't sure of the other boy's whereabouts until they saw him collapse on the sand on a stretch of beach, his body shaking from a deadly electrical shock. Kouichi retracted a leather whip from his brother's neck and stood near Kouji's fallen body, emotionless.

"Kouji!" they shouted as they rushed over to him. Izumi lifted him from the sand, wiping it away from his face. His skin was hot to the touch from the electricity. His neck was burned red from the electrical whip, and his fingertips were raw from pulling at the leather that was strangling him. His face held the same expression of pain as when he'd taken a blow from Duskmon's blade in the Dark Continent, and his breaths were unbelievably shallow. Izumi cradled him in her arms, too shocked to do anything else. His chest rose with a breath and fell once…twice… Three times.

"Kouji?" she questioned. She placed her ear against his chest and listened for any sign of a rhythm, but heard nothing: no heartbeat, no breathing—nothing. She nearly dropped him in shock, but her arms seemed to be frozen in place. Time had stopped the moment he'd fallen. She looked up at the cold, heartless Kouichi and asked, "Kouichi, how? How could you do this? How could you do this to your brother?" But he just turned and walked away, saying one thing:

"Take this as an example of what will happen if anyone dares to cross paths with the Digimon Kaiser."

The Chosen Children never really thought much about death, but they all knew it would come sooner or later. Their predictions were that Izumi, Kouji, Kouichi, Junpei, and Tomoki would die in a peaceful world, while Takuya would die at the hands of an enemy—too stubborn to stop fighting, even at times of peace. But they never thought that one of their own, especially Kouji, would die like this: at the hands of a friend, at the hands of his brother… It was the tragedy of Cain and Abel all over again.

_Stop thinking that! _she mentally ordered herself. _What's done is done; now leave it in the past, all right? _God, she was even starting to _think _like Kouji! When would it end? Like the others, she was still in deep mourning for their close friend, vowing never to forget his life and death. Kouji's death was a shock to them all, as he'd died not in battle as a Digimon, but while trying to talk to his brother, human-to-human.

The sun had almost completely set by now and several stars were shining through the forest canopy. Shutumon closed her light blue eyes and breathed deeply again, allowing herself to be bathed in the stars' holy light. It was times like this when things just felt right, like the whole ordeal on the beach was simply just a dream. But as Shutumon opened her eyes and pulled her mask up again, she could see that the nightmare was still very much alive. It would take a light much more powerful than those tiny radiant flecks of starlight to shine through the darkness that had seemed to overtake them all.

A slight breeze kicked up, as though telling Shutumon, Daijoubu_, it'll be all right." _She sighed and glanced forlornly at the last rays of sunlight descending below the horizon.

"Send my regards to Kouji Minamoto," she whispered to the wind, "wherever he is."

-------  
Reiji Takamoto pushed away a strand of his bright red hair as he hiked through the forest.

"You really think that they'll approve, Reiji?" Chideta Miyagami asked, not at all sounding like his usual carefree self.

"Of course they will," he answered. "The Chosen have had to deal with the Kaiser for too long. It's time for some revenge. I mean, the guy murdered their friend, so they're bound to want justice."

"But Kage doesn't want…"

"Forget about what Kage wants, Chideta. Think about what we all want. The needs of all, remember? They outweigh the needs of one. We need to get rid of the Kaiser and his lackeys, and this little baby is the only way to do it." He patted his gun affectionately; proud of the bullets he'd created.

"You do know that Kage's creating something of his own," Miyagami informed.

"I know," Takamoto answered, "but with his pace, that thing won't be finished till Christmas. And this is already completed."

"Dr. Akagami almost caught you with that bacterium," Miyagami pointed out. "I don't trust that guy. He's up to something. He knows what we're up to. Notice that the pharmacies all stocked up on penicillin? I think he knows what you're creating—he might give it to the Kaiser."

"Let him try," Takamoto answered, sounding cocky and far too overconfident. Takamoto and Miyagami were the best of friends—partners in crime at everything they did—but this was something that they couldn't agree on. "I'll take care of all his guards, and then I'll take care of him the same way he got the First Three." The sound of crushing leaves and grass interrupted them. In the shadows, they could make out the appearance of someone walking through the woods. "My first target," Takamoto whispered.

"Reiji!" Miyagami whispered loudly, but Takamoto signaled him to be quiet. Then he placed the silencer on his weapon, raised the gun, and—_whoosh_—the specially designed bullet flew out. The target dropped to the ground, clutching his knee in pain.

_I can't believe Reiji actually shot someone with that, _Miyagami thought. "Hey, you okay?"

"What are you doing?" Takamoto snapped.

"I'm fine," the target answered, his voice at a normal level, but sounding strained, like he was shouting. "Something just went past my knee, that's all."

"That's good to hear," Takamoto replied, angry that his aim had been off. "We were doing some target practice and one of our bullets shot toward you."

"Yeah, I think it hit that tree," the target commented, standing up to prove he was fine.

"You sure you're fine?" Miyagami checked.

"Yeah. Nothing bad, it was just a reflex." Despite his words, he was using his shirt to wipe blood off his hands.

"Where you headed?" Miyagami questioned.

"I was looking for my friends. They call themselves the Chosen Children. Someone said their camp is this way."

"Yeah, just keep going in that direction," Takamoto urged. "You'll find them in no time."

"Thanks," the target replied, walking off toward the Chosen's camp.

"He was hit," Miyagami knew. "And you let him go to the Chosen's camp. What were you thinking?"

"Don't worry. They're friends with Dr. Yamamoto. Once the kid's DNA begins to mutate, they'll know to get him."

"Reiji, you shot a kid!" Miyagami shouted. "What if it had been one of the Chosen?"

"Chideta, you've got to learn to toughen up out here. This isn't the dojo, you know." Miyagami wasn't really a soldier, but a martial artist. None of the militia really qualified as an army, in fact. "We don't have honorable fights against honorable opponents. The Kaiser is the lowest form of slime around, and we need to fight on his terms."

"Reiji, even outside the dojo, everyone knows not to attack your own ally, which you did. That kid didn't wear the uniform of the Imperial Guard, his clothes didn't crinkle with the sound of identification papers, and he was already hurt. He was one of ours! Kage probably sent him!" He began walking in the direction of the Chosen Children's camp. "And I'm going to go help him." He never heard the gun sound off, but he certainly felt Reiji Takamoto's specialized bullet dig its way into his back.

"Sorry, Chideta, but I can't have you telling them what I'm up to," Takamoto answered. "I'll tell the others you were with me in the woods, and we were both shot at with bio-weapons. I got away, but I didn't know what happened to you."

Miyagami cursed loudly at his friend, disgusted with him. But a fever soon began to course through him, leaving him weak and exhausted.

"Reiji…" he murmured, losing consciousness. "That kid better live…"

-------  
Izumi Orimoto returned to the camp she shared with Takuya Kanbara, Junpei Shibayama, and Tomoki Himi. All four were relieved at the sight of the others; they had no way of contacting each other through their D-scanners without the risk of Kouichi tapping into the signal. She'd checked at the other Resistance settlements in the area and found everything to be fine. All three boys appeared to be as somber as she was, even though they'd all vowed that they wouldn't let Kouji's memory be a sorrowful one. The camouflaged tent hid them inside, while a small fire burned in a hole in the ground, with a metal grid placed over it like a stove burner.

"Izumi, you're back," Junpei noticed.

"Yeah," she answered. "Nothing new, except Kage got a few new passengers on the Railroad."

"Where were they from?" Tomoki asked.

"Didn't get a chance to ask. I had a lot on my mind."

"Hey, look what we got for you," Takuya said, pointing at a vanilla cake adorned with juicy strawberries.

"Happy birthday," all three wished.

"Thanks, but my birthday isn't until next week," Izumi corrected.

"Oh well," Takuya replied, seeming to become his old self again. "At least I remembered it was May. Let's eat up. Kage might come, and he's the only one I know that can eat more than Junpei, but never gain weight."

"Hey!" Junpei defended himself.

Kage Tenshi was a fourteen-year-old super genius who lived on his own after the murder of his father, a respected doctor and scientist named Tadaaki Tenshi, who had refused to work for Kouichi because he thought the boy to be no more than a preteen megalomaniac, easily comparable to Napoleon or Hitler. Kage's tunnel complex—the Underground Railroad—had been designed after the tunnel complexes Al Qaida used during the war on terror, but he swore that he wasn't going to be the next Bin Laden. He was a revolutionary, preferring peaceful negotiations to fighting wars. He was also the one who'd developed all of their weapons, as well as hacked into the military satellites. He was able to hack into any computer anywhere—without leaving even one cookie of his computer's data behind. His computer was a souped-up Sony VAIO laptop, protected by his special firewall and anti-virus programs, installed with a built-in printer on the bottom, and guarded by his DNA/Fingerprint Analyzer, which would allow only him access to his computer. His motto was "Print it, read it, burn it," after the typical procedure they had to follow with any files: print out the information, read it and memorize the important details, and then burn it so Kouichi would never know what they were up to.

Each of the four Chosen ate only one slice of the small cake. It was moist and fresh—stolen from a bakery not long ago. The Resistance did all they could to replace what they'd taken, but it was hard with the Imperial Guard always "keeping the peace" in the cities. In fact, it was sometimes just easier having a member go out and buy their necessities, all with the comfort of a pair of grayed contact lenses and falsified identification papers.

Takuya reached in the back of the tent for one of their many jugs of water, only to be met with the Minamotos' very friendly dog.

"Calm down, mutt!" Takuya ordered. "I'll get you some water too! Geez!"

A quiet round of laughter erupted from Izumi, Junpei, and Tomoki. Takuya smiled a little bit. This was the first time they'd laughed in five months. It was a good sign that they were healing from the incident. But his expression grew more serious when he noticed the brown and black dog was sniffing the breeze that had blown toward them. He secured his D-scanner on his belt and dashed out to meet the intruder.

"Tomoki," he ordered, "follow and take the mutt."

Takuya made his way through the forest surrounding Mt. Fuji, being cautious not to make any sound that could reveal his location.

_There he is, _he noticed, seeing a figure slowly and painfully walking through the wood. The intruder seemed hurt and sick, and looked ready to collapse, but Takuya knew it could be an act, considering the Resistance housed all injured. And this person was too close to camp to be ignored. Plus there was the fact that the wind had carried this guy's scent a good five decameters to the dog's sensitive nose…

Suddenly, the figure's hood fell off his head. Takuya made his decision in all of two seconds, rushing over to confront the young man with long dark hair.

"Kouichi," he growled angrily, taking his fist and allowing it to connect with the boy's jaw. He pulled it back to see a few drops of liquid: blood—good.

He continued his assault, barely giving his victim the chance to breathe. But the sound of Tomoki yelling, "Come back!" to a barking dog temporarily interrupted his ambush. Despite this, he pressed his opponent against a tree trunk, ready to deliver another blow.

"This is for the First Three—the first three people you murdered," he avenged menacingly. "I doubt you even remember who they were: Kouji Minamoto, Nari Ayamisa, and Tadaaki Tenshi." He took his fist and drove it into the other boy's jaw again. "What? Not going to show your pain? Did Kouji show his pain when you killed him, Kouichi?"

"Takuya, it's me," gasped the other boy, barely able to speak above a whisper.

"Save it, Kouichi! I'm giving you exactly what you deserve!" He drew his fist back, only to feel a row of sharp teeth digging into his leg. He let go of his opponent, letting him fall to the ground, and tried kicking the dog, who went directly to the injured boy's side, snarling and growling.

"Takuya _onii-chan_!" called Tomoki, who rushed over with a flashlight he'd returned to grab from camp. He shined it on Takuya's wound. The skin hadn't broken, but teeth marks were visible. "Why'd he bite you?"

"I don't know," Takuya answered, backing away from the crazy dog.

"It's okay," the injured boy insisted in a stronger voice, sitting up. "He just mistook me for someone else." The dog turned and tried to lick his face, but the boy kept holding him back. "Don't. I'm fine, just not feeling too good right now."

_That voice, _thought Takuya and Tomoki simultaneously. Tomoki shined the flashlight on the newcomer's face, and then dropped the light in shock.

"Kouji?" he recognized. He nodded in response.

"Let me help you up," Takuya offered, but the dog threatened to attack him again.

"It's okay," Kouji assured, standing up. He rubbed behind the dog's ears, letting him know that the young master was all right. "Nice to see you guys again." Suddenly, he hit the ground, unable to stand any longer.

"We have to get him to the others," Takuya realized. The dog allowed him to come closer to help Kouji to his feet. Tomoki went to Kouji's other side and glanced at his friend's knee.

"Takuya, look," Tomoki whispered. Takuya glanced down and noticed a large blood stain on the left side of Kouji's knee—near the kneecap. It looked like a bullet had dug its way in there. But there was no time to ask questions as Kouji completely lost consciousness. Quickly, they both helped him back to camp.

"Hey, Takuya, Tomoki, what took you so…long?" Junpei asked, his question losing its effect at the sight of the newcomer.

Throughout their time in the Digital World, the Chosen Children had learned many things. They'd learned that many things didn't exist, such as 1) ghosts, and 2) easy answers to any of their questions. Both Junpei and Izumi tried their hardest to keep that in mind as they stared at Kouji Minamoto—back from the dead.

"How?" Izumi started, but Takuya and Tomoki quickly laid the unconscious boy on the ground.

"Junpei, get to the settlement and find Dr. Yamamoto," Takuya instructed. "Tomoki and I'll take the mutt and find Kage. Izumi, you're the only one trained in first aid, so do what you can to help Kouji until Dr. Yamamoto comes."

The orders were followed without question. Junpei rushed for the Resistance settlement in the abandoned ski lodge at Mt. Fuji while Takuya and Tomoki took the dog and headed for Kage's tunnel complex. Izumi removed Kouji's jacket to see that his arms, although fairly tanned—only looking pale from his apparent illness—were riddled with scabs and bruises. She removed the first aid kit, a jug of water, two bowls (one fairly large one and a small rice bowl), and a medium-sized pot from their tent and went to work, pouring water into the pot and placing it over the grid on the fire. She then removed Kouji's tattered yellow shirt and set it aside, assessing his injuries. What she saw was frightening. Cuts were piled on bruises, which were probably concealing broken bones. And worst of all was how thin he was. He'd always been very thin before, but now it was as though he was a walking skeleton. He looked as though he'd just barely managed to survive the Nazi concentration camps. She added a cold pack on his bruises, rotating so all the bruises could get attended to. When the water was hot enough, she poured it into the bowls, placing the shirt in the large one, using the warm wet cloth to clean Kouji's wounds. Once that was done, she wrapped a fresh white bandage around his ribcage, securing it by wrapping it once over his right shoulder. Then she wrapped another around a cut on his right bicep and used the scissors to cut the left leg off his pants, getting to the gruesome bullet wound on his knee.

_This is fresh, _she noticed. _Someone just shot him, but who?_

She wrapped another bandage around his knee. All the time, he slept, seeming to feel nothing at all.

_I can't believe Kouichi would do this, _Izumi thought, gently kissing Kouji's forehead in sympathy. Somehow, it was more satisfying than she meant it to be. She withdrew in surprise. How could she have feelings like this for Kouji? He was her best friend! Besides, it was Kouichi she loved, right?

_Was, _her mind informed. _Loved. Kouichi is no longer capable of that emotion._ But that didn't mean she had to move on to his brother!

As she tried to sort her feelings out, she made a mental note to mention that Kouji seemed to have a high fever. She took a brown knitted blanket and placed it on him carefully, so as not to disturb his much needed rest.

She was about to place his jacket inside when she noticed something sticking out of the pocket. She reached in and removed the photos Kotemon had placed inside.

_I can't believe he kept these, _she thought. She nearly laughed. _I remember how much we hated when he took these._ But the photo of her kiss with Kouichi brought back bad memories. She looked at it momentarily, and then threw it in the fire.

"Too bad," a voice commented weakly. "That was one of my favorites." She turned to see that Kouji was awake. She handed him the other bowl, instructing him to sip carefully. With his first sip of water, he rinsed the blood (courtesy of Takuya's assault) out of his mouth, spitting the reddish liquid on the ground.

"You have to drink this," Izumi instructed. She propped him up a bit and held the bowl to his lips again. He took a few sips, but began choking on the water.

It was terrible. He couldn't stop coughing, and Izumi didn't know what to do to help. For a moment, she remembered how he'd apparently died in her arms: unable to breathe. Becoming certified in first aid was her way of vowing never to let that happen again, but now she was too afraid to touch him, scared of injuring him even more.

_But that won't matter if he dies, _a rational part of her protested.

The matter settled, she helped him into a sitting position, gently pounding on his back to loosen the water that had cut off his breathing tube. He continued coughing so hard that he ended up vomiting all over the ground, but there weren't many regurgitated substances to speak of, supporting her theory that he'd been starved. His choking finally subsided and Izumi gave him the bowl of water again, tipping it back more carefully so he could take smaller sips. She then helped him walk away from the soiled ground and had him lie down, a bit further from the fire, but still close enough so she didn't have to waste precious time walking back and forth with the medical supplies if things went from bad to worse.

Looking at his thin form, Izumi couldn't help but ask, "When's the last time you ate?"

"Last night," Kouji answered.

"What did you have?"

"A quarter of a bowl of soup and half a slice of bread."

"Is that all you ate the whole day?"

He nodded. "That's all I ever eat."

Izumi looked around for any type of food he could eat, but all there was in the camp was the cake from earlier. She wasn't exactly sure if it was a good idea to give him sugar if he hadn't been eating too many solid foods in months, but it was all there was available. Finally, she removed the strawberries from the top and carefully wiped the white sugary icing off with her finger. She was undoubtedly certain that her first aid instructors wouldn't approve of this unsanitary way of handling food, but there was enough of an emergency on her hands without having to deal with sterilization.

"Eat this." She propped him up again and held one of the berries to his mouth. He took a small bite and chewed it carefully. "Luckily there's vitamin C in them, so it should help you fight off whatever's making you sick." She didn't place him back down again until all three strawberries had been finished.

"Izumi, thank you for watching out for me," he whispered.

"Go back to sleep," she urged. "The others are coming back with a doctor." He nodded in reply and closed his eyes.

-------  
Sakiko lay awake on the cot in the tunnel settlement. Kouji's family was fast asleep, but Sakiko, Koemon, and Kotemon were all too tired to sleep. The events of that day had exhausted them, but they couldn't sleep at all.

"Can't sleep?" she asked. Kotemon was rubbing his eyes. "Me neither."

"Let's go see if Kage needs help," Koemon suggested.

"I'd feel better if we knew if Kouji needed help," Kotemon commented, taking his helmet and placing it on his head.

In the mess hall, Kage had gathered the entire militia that was under his command. That militia consisted of Digimon from the levels of Child to Perfect—even the occasional Ultimate—and any human willing to fight. With his tall stature and strong voice, Kage could pass as a soldier. But it was still odd to think that this one teenager was ordering around adults.

"Biological weapons?" he shouted, pacing in front of the soldiers like a commanding officer. "We are _revolutionaries, _not terrorists! Our job is to stop the Kaiser and save those under his influence, not to shoot everyone in sight! Himi and Gabumon are searching for that bullet, and if they don't find it, you can be sure that all hell's going to break loose!"

"What bullet?" asked a tan boy with a pair of goggles atop his brown hair. Standing next to him was a small boy whose brown hair was streaked with summer blond.

"One of our trigger-happy gunmen decided to be a fool and make his own biological weapon by making bullets filled with a bacterium he cultured in the Mt. Fuji Settlement Hospital. The bullets were designed to dissolve in blood so the bacterium would be released. It mutates DNA in humans and causes painful non-cancerous tumors, but no one can guess what it would do to someone with Digimon forms."

"Yutaka _onii-chan_," recognized the smaller boy as a college-age boy walked in with a Gabumon.

"Sorry, Tomoki, can't talk now," he answered. "Kage, I have bad news."

"Let me guess," he replied. "No trace of the bullet?"

"That and more," Gabumon added. "The shot was fired near the Chosen's camp. One of them is infected."

The goggle-headed boy turned pale in shock. "Kouji—his knee was bleeding. I didn't think much of it, but it looked like a bullet wound."

"Kouji?" Sakiko, Kotemon, and Koemon repeated in shock.

"As in Kouji Minamoto, the Kaiser's brother?" Sakiko asked. Kage seemed to react to the name a little bit, as though he recognized it.

"Oh no," Koemon declared.

"The bacterium is in him now," Kotemon realized.

"Hear that people?" Kage questioned. "The Kaiser's brother was back from the dead, and now he's about to join them again." He walked directly to an eighteen-year-old with red hair and steel-gray eyes, who was obviously the culprit. "I hope you all think of that the next time any of you wants to build a chemical or biological weapon." He then broke his gaze on the perpetrator. "The next time I catch any of you with or hear rumors of anyone making or building a weapon of mass destruction, I'll shoot you personally."

-------  
Not much time had passed later when Kouji began shivering under the blanket, and a cold sweat was beading down his forehead and all over his body. His temperature shot up several degrees, and he seemed to be having trouble breathing.

"Move closer to the fire," Izumi ordered. He stood up, holding the woolen blanket around his body, but he soon dropped it, staring at his hand.

"Izumi, something's wrong with my hand," he said. Izumi checked, only to see what looked more like an animal's paw rather than a human hand. His fingernails rounded cylindrically and narrowed into sharp claws. Bluish fur began covering his body, and his outer skin started separating from the rest of his body, forming a thick metallic armor. His bones made a crunching sound, forcing him to sharply and painfully take in his breath as he slowly fell toward the dirt ground. His feet became paws, tearing out of his sneakers—why he had no socks was a mystery. Izumi quickly placed the blanket over him as he continued struggling in feverish pain.

That was when Tomoki, Kage, Takuya, Dr. Yamamoto, and Junpei arrived. Immediately, the doctor went into action, injecting a painkiller to try and relieve the agonizing mutation.

"No…" Kouji resisted, trying to avoid the needle. His attempts were in vain as the necessary medication was injected into his arm. His body went limp, and he fell to his side, slowly losing consciousness again.

"He just had a fever and things suddenly got worse," Izumi explained.

"His DNA is warping, forcing him into his evolutions," Kage realized, quickly explaining Takamoto's blunder. When he was done, he broke into a loud string of cursing, many of the words the Chosen had never heard before.

"Who's had contact with Kouji's wounds?" Dr. Yamamoto questioned, interrupting Kage's rage.

"I cleaned and bandaged them," Izumi replied. "Also, he threw up all over the encampment. Some of it may have ended up on my clothes by accident."

"His jacket covered most of his injuries, so Tomoki and I didn't come in contact with any blood," Takuya added. "And the mutt didn't draw any blood when he bit me."

"I'm going to have to carry him to the hospital tent," Kage said, volunteering as though he owed Kouji some personal debt. "And Himi and Gabumon just went out to search for Chideta Miyagami, who was with Takamoto. It's possible he was shot too."

"You have quarantine tents, right?" Dr. Yamamoto checked. Kage nodded. "Keep Kouji and all definite patients in one, and anyone who could possibly be infected in the other. I'll be in quarantine too, but I'll need another doctor to help me take care of all the patients. Someone go to my hospital and alert Dr. Akagami."

"I'll do it," Junpei volunteered.

"Good. Tell him to be ready for a disease-control burn. We need to burn whatever came in contact with Kouji's blood—mainly clothes and that blanket. The bowls and other cooking utensils can be cleaned in hot water with a touch of laundry detergent or bleach."

"Takuya, Tomoki, head off to the quarantine tents and tell everyone to get ready," Kage ordered.

"Give one of the settlers this," Dr. Yamamoto added, handing Takuya a prescription. "It's for a penicillin that should be able to help kill the bacteria that keeps spreading through Kouji's system, if we can get it to him in time."

"I'll take it," Sakiko offered. Instead of wearing Kouji's bandana over her noticeably purple-and-brown hair, she'd wrapped it in a pink gypsy scarf. "I'll just say I'm a cancer patient or something."

"Let me print out the papers for that," Kage said, removing his computer from the element-proof pack on his back. Rapidly, he typed up the information and printed out a very convincing set of identification papers. "Go. And hurry." She was given the prescription and papers and sent off. Everyone else had already gone to do his duty. Kage braced himself and lifted Kouji's body, which was still covered with the blanket. But he was shocked at how light Kouji was. "That's strange. He hardly weighs anything. Has he eaten anything?"

"Yes. I gave him a few strawberries—it was all we had. And when he threw up, I noticed there wasn't much to it. He said all he ever has to eat is half a piece of bread and a quarter of a bowl of soup."

"That's not a good sign," Dr. Yamamoto realized. "He may not have the strength to fight the bacteria. We have to get him to the hospital tent now."

Izumi glanced up at what stars were visible in the cover of the trees. The stars were shining their light through the darkness, providing everyone with the strength to go on. But it was up to all of them to see what tomorrow would bring.

-------  
Sakiko walked into a pharmacy and presented the false ID papers, saying she was a discharged leukemia patient who needed to be taking different medicines to fight off bacterial infection. At the front desk, she handed over the prescription to a kindly old man and hoped for the best.

"You're in luck," he said, his eyes blank from Kouichi's power. "We just got stocked up on this in case the Resistance used biological weapons."

"Biological weapons?" Sakiko asked, making her voice sound weak and tired.

"Yes. Apparently, they're experimenting with a bacterium that causes DNA to mutate. Thank God that Dr. Yamamoto's assistant, Dr. Akagami, alerted us to it and had us stock up on this."

Sakiko felt a wave of anger overcome her. Akagami was going to be treating Kouji. If he did something as traitorous as this, he would stop at nothing to kill the sick boy.

_"This just in," _a TV reporter alerted, her eyes also vapid. _"The Kaiser has just discovered that one of his most dangerous prisoners has just escaped his prison fortress earlier today." _A picture of Kouji appeared on the screen. _"It is said that this young man may claim to be related to the Kaiser and is mentally unstable. He calls himself Kouji Minamoto, and he is said to be armed with the stolen Spirits of Light and is to be considered very dangerous."_

Sakiko knew that things were getting out of hand. And it was up to her to stop it before anyone—namely Kouji—got hurt. She took the medicine, paid, and prayed that her gun was still on her cot.

-------  
Kage placed Kouji on the cot in the main quarantine tent when Yutaka Himi entered, carrying another patient.

"Kage, it's Miyagami," he informed. He placed the motionless young man on another cot, revealing that Chideta Miyagami's face was covered with mutating inflammations. Already, the young man's lower lip had swollen to twice its normal size.

"Good, Himi," Kage answered. "Did Gabumon touch anything?"

"No," he informed. "I made sure of it. Besides, Digimon can't handle blood."

"All right, we'd better go into the other tent."

"It's a good thing that Akagami mentioned that Takamoto was experimenting with bacteria. I don't want to think what might have happened if he didn't warn us."

"True. But I did find it a little unusual that he seemed to know exactly what the new bacterium was—especially considering that Takamoto invented it."

Himi stared at Kage. "You don't think that he might be working for the Kaiser, do you?"

"I don't know. I don't have any definite proof, yet. But let's just say I'll be keeping my eye on him."

They both left and headed for the other quarantine tent. Once he was sure they were inside the other, Reiji Takamoto entered the one they'd left.

"Chideta?" he whispered, trying to wake up his friend.

"Reiji, hey," the sick fighter responded.

"I'm sorry for getting you into all this."

"It's all right. You were right though. I did need to change the way I think and fight, but I doubt in the way you meant."

"Forget about the way I thought. I destroyed that bacterium under Kage's orders, especially after I heard this was going to kill you."

Miyagami whistled. "So, how's it feel talking to a dead guy?"

"Chideta, man, this isn't funny."

"Sorry, Reiji. But it's weird to think that I'll die at the hands of an ally and not an enemy. Guess that's what the Chosen thought when their friend died."

"No, he's alive."

"What?"

"Well, for the moment. That kid on your left—the one that's starting to look like a wolf—is the Kaiser's brother, Kouji."

"Whoa." Miyagami was entirely speechless. "But…how did he survive?"

"Don't know. We won't know anything until he recovers—_if_ he recovers."

"Don't be such a pessimist," Miyagami urged. "No one else has had this. He and I both have a chance of surviving."

"You're right. You forgive me?"

"Of course. We're the undefeated duo, remember?"

Takamoto held back a laugh. "Partners in crime, just like in the dojo. When you get out of here, and when this war's all over, what do you say we pull that prank we've been planning since high school started?"

Miyagami began howling in laughter. "You bet! We'll just hijack the school's golf carts and start a chase with all the administrators. We'll be legends."

"Yeah, but you need to rest first before we do it," Takamoto reasoned. "No point in just laughing about it if we won't be able to do it."

"True. See you when I get out, Reiji."

"Yeah. See you then."

Miyagami closed his eyes and fell back to sleep, but Takamoto couldn't bring himself to leave so soon. He'd made his peace with his friend, but Kouji still remained. He walked over to the other patient's cot. Kouji was lying on his right side, breathing shallowly. His mouth was open, revealing teeth that were slowly becoming pointed. Every once in a while, he'd moan in pain from a mutation, but that was the only noise he made. He was unconscious, but Takamoto needed to confess, even to a sleeping person.

"So, your name is Kouji," he started, hearing a loud moan as two large golden blades exited Kouji's back. The skin tore free, leaving blood on the blades, his back, and the sheets; but after several seconds, the wounds on his back healed, although blood remained on his back, sheets, blades, and the ground. Decontamination would take a long time after this. "Listen, kid, I know this may be hard to believe, but I was one of the main people that actually mourned your loss. I don't know why myself… I guess it's because people die everyday, whether anyone wants them to or not. Most deaths aren't noticed by anyone but those who actually knew the deceased, but then there are those that are publicized. But with these publicized deaths, we always know the name of who died, and we always know what they did. But with you, we didn't. You didn't have a name or a purpose. You were one of the common people, and yet everyone felt an unusual closeness to you. Now why? I'm not sure, but… Complete strangers cried for you when we thought you were dead. A lot of people care about you, kid, whether you notice it or not. You have to survive for these people, if not for yourself." At Kouji's side was a blue-and-black digivice. Takamoto had seen the other Chosen use ones just like it to evolve. Hoping he could spare the boy at least some pain, he pressed a button, causing a full slide evolution sequence. Wolfmon's form was a lot easier to maintain, and a lot less painful to take on. And then he walked out, leaving it all up to Fate once more.

-------  
"You let them escape," Kouichi accused.

"It's not my fault," Reiyama answered.

"Silence," Kouichi ordered. "I'm tired of your excuses. If not for you alerting those slaves, he would not have escaped."

"But they had to have known of his existence beforehand," Reiyama protested.

"And whose fault is that?" Kouichi asked. "You were supposed to be sure the Kotemon saw nothing, but you spent your night with a bottle of sake." He raised his whip above his head, placing it on electric blade mode. "You've failed me for the last time." Reiyama tried to plead for his life, but Kouichi jammed the electric blade into the soldier's heart, resulting in a loud bang…

_Wait, _Kouji thought, his mind hazy. _That was a gunshot. _He opened his eyes, surprised to see that he was in the form of Wolfmon. He hadn't even felt the evolution. A doctor was lying on the floor near him, blood pouring out of his chest, and Sakiko was holding her gun—the instrument that had killed him. In her other hand was a container of pills. Wearing a pair of latex gloves, she walked over to Miyagami and placed a pill in his mouth, instructing him to carefully swallow, then moved on to Kouji, slipping one in his mouth. He was too weak to ask questions, but Sakiko already knew what he wanted to ask.

"Akagami was trying to poison you two. I caught him with cyanide pills." She motioned to a spilled bottle of broken capsules that smelled like bitter almonds. "He's a mercenary, or at least he was." She was silent for a second before continuing. "The Kaiser placed out an all-points bulletin on you. He said you were mentally unstable, and very dangerous. But we all know you're not." She then left the tent, disposing of her gloves and placing her gun in her back pocket.

Kouji glanced at his roommate, Miyagami, who was unconscious again. His face looked scarred and bloated, which was an obvious sign that his body had mutated. Suddenly, he heard his bones crunching and his body shifting to yet another new form. The transition to Strabimon wasn't as long or painful as to Garmmon, but the mutation was just as draining. He closed his eyes and fell back to sleep.

A day later, a foul stench met his nostrils. Still in Strabimon's form, he opened his eyes and blinked to clear his fuzzy vision to see Miyagami being placed in a body bag. Dr. Yamamoto placed an oxygen mask over Kouji's face, keeping him from breathing in the reek of death.

_He didn't make it, _Kouji realized. _They didn't get him help in time. Am I going to end up that way too? _Exhaustion swamped him again, forcing him into a deep, dreamless sleep, not even remembering about awakening only for a few seconds for medication.

It was three days later when Kouji opened his eyes again, but not because his long sleep was interrupted, but because he finally felt better. The oxygen mask was no longer on his face; it had been removed some time after the tent had been cleansed. His position on the cot was different, signifying that he'd been taken somewhere else after Miyagami's death. He sat up and saw that he had a human body and not a Digimon form. The bandages around his wounds were fresh and clean, as were the sheets on his bed. Hanging on the wall was a set of clothes with a note signed by a certain Yutaka Himi.

_Whatever remained of your clothes was burned to prevent spreading infection, _it explained. _These clothes used to belong to me, but I outgrew them years ago. I guess I was saving them for Tomoki, but you can have them now. Everything you need is here._

Kouji changed into the clothes, finding that they fit him too well to be a pair of the older boy's, and in too good condition to be hand-me-downs. Tomoki's brother just didn't want to reveal he'd gone shopping for everything Kouji would need: from a new shirt to new underwear and socks. On the ground was a pair of worn black sneakers, which were obviously used before. With them was yet another note.

_Himi went out and bought you new clothes, but don't let him know I told you this, _that note read. _I went around town and found a pair of sneakers someone had thrown on a communication wire. That person's loss is your gain. Hope they fit._

_-Kage Tenshi_

Kage's sneakers fit Kouji comfortably, although they were pretty big. Luckily, Tomoki's brother had gotten him thick socks, so his feet didn't slide out of the shoes too much. Finally, Kouji removed the third and final gift and note from the pocket in his jeans. It was his bandana and an elastic band for his hair. This note was the shortest of them all:

_Figured you'd want this back._

_-Sakiko_

Kouji placed all three notes on the table next to his cot, surprised to see that someone had saved his photos from the incinerator. He tied his hair back and then tied the bandana over it before stepping outside in the fresh night air. There was a hollowed-out log nearby, and he sat on it.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Izumi questioned, standing nearby.

"I've been asleep for days," he replied.

"Nice clothes," she joked. "Tomoki's brother definitely bought them."

"Yours are nice too," he replied, looking at her. She was no longer wearing her old striped blue T-shirt, long skirt, vest, and hat. All of that had been burned. Now she had a pink-and-purple tie-dyed, spaghetti-strap top with a pair of denim shorts.

"Someone at the settlement donated them."

"You look good though." She walked up, taking a seat next to him. "So that other guy died and Akagami was a traitor." It was _not_ a question.

"Miyagami's body was burned for fear of spreading the bacteria. Sakiko and Takamoto made their own pyre and burned Akagami's body privately, but without any of the honors we'd given Miyagami. Akagami wasn't under anyone's control. He did it of his own free will."

"Did my family tell you how I survived?" he checked. Izumi nodded.

"They told us everything." She suddenly buried her head in his chest, crying. "I'm sorry for all Kouichi did to you."

"It's not your fault," he assured. "The Kaiser is controlling him."

"But I could have kept him from doing all that. I could have stopped him."

"He would have tried to kill you too."

Izumi stopped crying and turned her head. "All this time we thought you were dead, but Kouichi wouldn't even let that happen to you. I wish you hadn't gone through all that."

A year ago, Kouji would have been rigid with fear by Izumi's touch. But his experiences over the past few months had changed him, and he'd come to miss the kindness of it. And so now he returned his appreciation by holding her close, running a hand through her soft blond locks and whispering, "I wish you hadn't gone through all that pain either."

And Sakiko watched their reunion in the moonlight. Was it friendship, or something more?

"I hope he finally finds what he's needed," she whispered. And she turned and walked away, completely content.

_Onii-san/chan: older brother. –san is more respectful than –chan_

_Daijoubu: all right/it will be all right_

**Oh, that last scene was part _G Gundam, _part _Robotech. _Plus that Gabumon was the one from episode 8—at least I think it was episode 8. This chapter is dedicated to my friends Valerie and Melissa, who have been plotting with me about the golf carts. The whole idea of the disease was from my _Circle of Magic _books by Tamora Pierce, but Izumi's first aid scene was stolen from the second episode of _G Gundam, _where Rain had to treat Domon's wounds. Although Rain was a lot rougher with Domon that Izumi was with Kouji… I got the whole idea of the "hand-me-down" clothing from _A Wind in the Door _by Madeleine L'Engle. And I didn't know the name of Kouji's dog, so I just worked my way through it again. And I used the dub name for Tomoki's brother, because I don't think he was actually named in the Japanese version: he was just "_onii-chan,_" so someone in the dub rearranged the spelling of Takuya to get Yutaka.**


	6. Focus

_"You, who were just the little one crying,  
__Are now standing in the middle of the light.  
__Who is the focus of your heart?  
__That's the only thing  
__I want to know."  
__Takeru Takaishi—"Focus"  
__(Translated by KarenSedai)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Four: "Focus"

Kage walked out of the quarantine tent with Kouji's pills in hand. He had been searching around for a while, unable to locate the Chosen of Light. And then he saw him—sitting on a log with Izumi. And he wasn't sure if they noticed, but they were holding hands. According to Japanese custom, they were dating.

"You've really changed a lot," Izumi noticed. "You're still not much of a talker, but you're a lot less quiet than you used to be."

"It's something I learned after all those months in captivity," Kouji answered. "Being trapped for five months, speaking only to your family, and knowing that each day could be your last changes you. I missed the things I'd had before."

"Like what?"

Kouji fought the urge to say, "Like you," knowing that Izumi was with Kouichi. But he couldn't get her image out of his head—the same way her image had intruded on the kiss Sakiko gave him. He didn't know why that kept happening. Worst of all, his time as a slave had forced him to become somewhat of a lone wolf again. He was going to have to force himself to trust anyone, even his closest friends, again. It took a lot of persuasion from the other part of his mind—the part that did trust Izumi—for him to finally continue.

"Basically, I missed having friends who would do anything for each other," he answered. "I would continue helping everyone who stepped on a mine, or seemed to be the cause of an explosion or leak. Countless other slaves would betray me, even though they knew that I would be facing a round of torture. I even heard rumors that they bet on how injured I'd be the next day. Others would consider me to be a curse, like I was the one causing all the trouble. But then Sakiko, Kotemon, and Koemon rescued me—they were the first ones who really took a stand to help me. I know that if they didn't get us out of there, Kouichi might have killed Mom, Dad, Satomi, and Kouri."

"And not you?"

His tone was considerably lower as he spoke. "He just likes playing with me. The torture is just his way of showing that he's my older brother, so he's the stronger one."

"But you've survived all this. Doesn't that count for something?"

"Yes. And he knows that. That's why he says I never existed, why he let you think I died. As long as I'm alive in some form or another, he knows that I still have some kind of power over him. And when I revealed my identity, he was furious. He could have killed me if it wasn't for the others."

"I'm sorry for making you relive that," Izumi apologized.

"What's there to be sorry for? What's done is done. Let's just leave it in the past, all right?" Izumi laughed a little at this. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just I thought the exact same thing a few days ago. It was just weird."

"You've changed too," Kouji observed. "I mean, you used to be afraid of the Dark Continent, and now here you are, in the light, fighting in the darkness, against the one you love."

"Kouichi may not be the one I love anymore," Izumi admitted. "He's changed too much. I can't believe that he ever let that being possess him."

"He may not have let it."

"But he lets the Kaiser use his anger and hatred. Why? Why does he hate you so much?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you some other time."

"So, is there anyone in your life that you think is special?" Izumi questioned. "That Sakiko girl seemed to like you a lot."

"Yeah, but she's just not the kind of person that I'd want to be with. Friends, yes, but I think she sometimes takes things too far. She's a little arrogant at times, thinking that she's right and everyone else is wrong."

"She sounds like a female Takuya. Maybe we should set them up one of these days."

"No," Kouji answered, laughing. "That's the last thing on Earth we need."

"You're right. I've that scary thought before about two Takuyas. But really: Is there someone you consider to be special?"

"Maybe, but I'm just not ready to talk about it. What about you? You said that you don't love Kouichi like you used to. Anyone else in your life?"

"If you won't tell, then I won't."

"Guess we'll just have to be satisfied with that."

Kage regretted having to break up such a romantic moment, but he had important news. He cleared his throat, making his presence known. To his dismay, Izumi and Kouji let go of each other's hand, almost in embarrassment. Apparently, it had been the Western custom Izumi was used to, where it held no real meaning. She had probably been trying to comfort him after all he'd been through. And from what he'd heard, no one could ever take away Kouji's pain, but any type of comfort would help.

"Sorry to interrupt," Kage apologized, "but I found some information on the Kaiser. Turns out Kouichi wasn't the first." He tossed Kouji the medicine bottle. "Keep these with you at all times. You're not fully recovered yet."

They walked to a campfire further away from the quarantine tents. Around the warm flames were Takuya, Junpei, and Tomoki, who were glad to see their friend was doing better.

"Looking a lot better," Junpei noticed.

"We were all worried, especially after hearing that Miyagami died," Tomoki added.

"Here, take this," Takuya offered, throwing the blue D-scanner. "Kage ran a few tests on this and found you'd been evolving almost everyday for the past five months, which is why the bacterium affected you the way it did. The doctor says that the bacteria's still in you, so you can't fight for another few weeks until long after you're completely healed. We knew you'd never follow orders, so just don't evolve or anything."

"Well, now that this has been taken care of, back to business," Kage decided, removing his laptop. "You'll never believe what I found out about the Kaiser."

"What is it?" Takuya questioned.

"Give me a second. You guys know the procedure: print it, read it, burn it. I just need to print it here." He rapidly set everything up for printing. "Kouji, when you described your fight with the Kaiser to your parents, you said that his whip seemed to appear out of the sky, right?"

"Yeah."

"That—and the fact that you've mentioned to others that the Kaiser is completely separate from your brother—got me thinking that maybe the Kaiser isn't from this world at all. So I hacked into some radio and X-ray telescopes, modifying my computer's data into sonic waves and X-ray radiation, and I managed to pass the data through a black hole."

"Now you lost me," Takuya confessed.

"Every black hole is a type of vortex, pulling things across space and time, but no one knows what's on the other side because the immense gravity crushes everything that gets pulled into it. But everything has to go somewhere. That's how I managed to figure things out. On the day of Kouji and the Kaiser's fight, there was a disturbance with a black hole that was swirling in the sky over the beach where they fought. It was suddenly causing something to come out of it, not pulling it in. It was driving scientists nuts because they couldn't figure out what was going on with it. But now I do. The Kaiser's soul was coming through at the speed of a tachyon, faster than the speed of light, bringing along everything from his reign in the world on the other side. In that universe was a team of six Chosen Children, plus another six that had come before them, and an infinite number of others, but they were teamed with Digimon, helping them evolve. These six—the ones that came later, not their predecessors—had just defeated this Digimon called BelialVamdemon just moments before the fight on the beach. These children were named Daisuke Motomiya, Miyako Inoue, Iori Hida, Takeru Takaishi, Hikari Yagami, and Ken Ichijouji. There was a database kept on them in their Digital World, so I skimmed through it until I found information on the Digimon Kaiser." He took the printouts from his computer. "Better start reading." He left as the Chosen started reading the information.

"Ken was the original Kaiser," Junpei read. "It says here that he became the Kaiser partially because of this thing called a Dark Seed, which 'increased his athletic ability and his intelligence,' making him a complete genius and a star on his soccer team."

"This guy had a lot of problems though," Takuya observed. "His parents ignored him, paying attention only to his older brother, who was the original genius."

"Sounds like what Kouichi claimed," Kouji commented, searching through his printouts. "But he and his brother Osamu weren't on terms that bad. Ken said that some of his fondest memories are of him and Osamu blowing bubbles. He even based his appearance as the Kaiser on him." He showed the picture of Ken as the Kaiser.

"Wow!" Tomoki declared. "That's how Kouichi's dressed!"

"It's probably a safe bet that Osamu looked something like that," Junpei reasoned.

"Well, I've got the second part of that info," Tomoki volunteered. "Turns out that one day a digivice popped out of Osamu's computer. Osamu warned Ken not to touch it, and got really mad when Ken took it from his desk drawer. Ken was so angry about what happened that he wished his brother would die, which he did."

"How?" Takuya asked.

"I don't know. That's all it says."

"I have the last part of that," Izumi added, her voice shaky. "Osamu was killed in a car accident. Someone just ran him over in the street, but Ken was in too much shock to remember what happened. He was summoned to this place called the Dark Ocean, where he transformed his digivice into something called a D-3." She produced the picture, which showed a digivice almost identical to Kouichi's D-scanner. "Kouji, I think you should be the first to see this," she decided, handing over a folded printout. "It's Ken's picture, when he wasn't the Kaiser." Kouji stared at it for a moment, stunned.

"What is it?" Takuya questioned.

"You're not going to believe this," he finally stated. He passed the printed photo to the others, who were just as amazed at the resemblance between Ken and Kouichi: the same hair, eyes—everything!

"The whole story's repeating itself," Takuya realized.

Kage ran out to them, panting.

"There's a fire near one of the settlements!" he informed.

"Where?" Takuya asked.

"Near the outskirts of the forest, two days away from the Imperial town at the base of the mountain. And the fire keeps spreading."

"Let's go!" Takuya ordered.

"I'm coming too," Kouji insisted, getting several unsure stares. "You'll need all the help you can get."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Izumi offered.

"Okay then," Takuya agreed. "Let's move out!"

Kage hadn't been kidding when he said the fire kept spreading. Rapidly, the flames had engulfed half a kilometer of woodland, narrowing the protection of the Chosen's camp and Kage's Underground Railroad. Buckets and even tubs of water were thrown on the raging inferno, but no matter how hard the Resistance tried, none of their efforts could make any significant difference.

"Tomoki, try evolving to put out the flames," Takuya suggested, throwing more water on the blaze.

"Spirit Evolution! Chakmon!" He held out his small freeze gun. "Snow Bomber!" He pelted all of the trees and tents with snow and ice, freezing most of the flames and soaking the fuel they needed to burn. Upon completion, he devolved, taking a sigh of relief as everyone around applauded. But Kouji noticed that much of the applause seemed to be too well in unison, like someone was keeping everything in check.

"Let's clean the rest of this up," Izumi decided. They all began sorting through the charred ruins, removing anything valuable or whatever remotely looked like it could serve a purpose.

"Something's not right," Kouji whispered, walking up to Izumi.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"A lot of these people have blank expressions, like they don't realize what just happened."

"They're just in shock, that's all. This kind of thing happens after a disaster."

"Maybe, but I don't think that explains this. There's something about their eyes: void and missing color. I've seen the same thing with Kouichi when he was under Cherubimon's power. And that applause was way too perfect—using military precision and timing. Kage, the militia, and the rest of us were applauding out of synch, sounding normal. But the settlers all clapped at the same time, sounding like they were more machine than human or Digimon." He stared off into the burnt forest for a moment. "I'm going to check something out."

"Not without me you're not," Izumi argued. "I have to keep an eye on you. Besides, if you get sick again, I can alert someone."

"Fine, but just keep up." Izumi scowled at how his determination to solve the mystery was just bringing back his old attitude.

They dashed into the forest, stamping out tiny glows of red-orange along their way, keeping the fire from re-igniting. The smell of burnt wood and smoke was enough to spur some coughing from both of them.

"You okay?" Kouji checked. Izumi nodded, but he handed her his bandana just in case. "Breathe through this. It should filter out some of the smoke."

"Thanks." She put it over her face and found it was a lot easier to breathe. "What about you?"

"I'm fine for now."

As they went a little further, a new odor blew through the contaminated air, making them both lightheaded and sick.

"Gasoline," Izumi recognized.

"The trees are soaked with it," Kouji realized, picking up an empty can reeking of the odor.

"What do you think is going on?" Izumi questioned.

"This," a voice answered, stepping closer to them.

"Kouichi," Kouji recognized, his voice in an even tone. Suddenly, a heavy weight connected with his right temple, using a force so powerful that he hit the ground.

"You should know by now that crossing me will lead to your death, Kouji," Kouichi stated. He snapped his fingers and two of the "settlers" lifted Kouji from the ground, holding him in a vise-like grip. Two more appeared and seized Izumi. Kouichi walked up to her, admiring her softly curved figure. He curled his index finger and placed it under her chin, kissing her on the lips.

Almost immediately, Izumi could feel that something was wrong. Kouichi's kiss had changed. Instead of making her feel warm and happy inside, she only felt cold and confused. Her conflicting emotions for Kouichi encountered her newfound feelings for Kouji, causing a war of romantic unrest in her heart. She pulled away from Kouichi quickly, not liking his kiss of power and want.

"What's wrong, Izumi?" Kouichi questioned, his voice cruel and full of malice. He was not the same boy she'd fallen in love with. "Don't you have something to say to your boyfriend?" A tear slid down Izumi's face as her heart's torment continued. "Nothing to say freely?" Kouichi lifted his whip. "Then I'll force you to speak!"

"Don't hurt her!"

The shout shattered the stillness of the night. Kouichi turned to Kouji, shocked.

"What did you say?"

"Place even one hand on her, Kouichi, and I'll…"

Kouichi stared at him angrily for a moment, and burst into laughter. "What will you do? How do you expect to threaten me when you couldn't even match my power in the Digital World?" He turned his whip on Kouji, hitting him hard enough to nearly knock him unconscious.

"Stop!" Izumi pleaded, but Kouichi didn't listen.

"Listen, _ototo-chan_," Kouichi growled, using the informal phrase for "little brother," something he hadn't done in months. He walked closer, ready to complete his threat, but he stopped suddenly, getting a fairly good look at him. "Osamu?" he whispered.

It was not Kouichi's younger twin the Kaiser saw, but Ken Ichijouji's older brother. Kouichi backed away in fear, unable to understand why Kouji wore the same hooded green shirt over the same long-sleeved navy blue T-shirt that Osamu had worn the day of his death.

_No, _he thought as Kouji fell unconscious, _I've killed him again! Only this time, a car didn't hit him, but my whip did!_

He let go of his control over the captors' minds and they collapsed to the ground as if dead. Izumi was about to escape, but in one act of partial sanity, Kouichi snapped his whip around her waist, preventing her from leaving. Taking one last glance at Kouji's unconscious form, he whistled sharply, catching the attention of one of his Airdramon slaves. They left the forest without Kouichi so much as thinking of finding the Resistance settlements. Suddenly, it didn't seem important anymore.

-------  
"Kouji, you okay?" Takuya checked as the other boy slowly opened his eyes.

"Good news," Kage informed Takuya. "The rest of these guys are okay. But we have to get them out of the gas fumes."

Suddenly, the entire encounter with Kouichi flashed through Kouji's mind. He sat up quickly, feeling a wave of dizziness and nausea wash over him from the gasoline fumes. The color was drained from his face, and his whole body felt weak and useless.

"We need to get him out of here," Takuya said.

"Where's Izumi?" Kouji asked.

"Wasn't she with you?" Kage questioned, waking up one of the assailants.

Kouji's face held an expression of shock and regret as he remembered the events that had just occurred. He found the abandoned bandana and placed it in the pocket of his green shirt.

"Well?" Takuya pressed.

"Kouichi ambushed us. He was about to attack Izumi, but I stopped him. He hit me with the whip again, but as he came closer he just stopped, like he saw a ghost. He then whispered, 'Osamu.'"

"His brother?" Takuya recognized.

"Yeah. I think I've already figured out what Osamu Ichijouji used to look like." He stood up, forcing down a gush of bile.

"The best I can guess is Kouichi took her captive," Kage commented.

"I have to go save her," Kouji realized.

"You can't go anywhere," Takuya informed him. "You spent at least four days sick in quarantine, only just managing to survive. You have a few more days to go before you've completely recovered from that. And on top of that, you have enough injuries on your body to have killed you. Not to mention you've spent some time breathing in smoke and gas fumes. Isn't that right, Kage?"

The older boy removed a small silver pistol from his pocket and demonstrated how to shoot it. "The trigger is just a decoy in case some Imperial soldier decides to use it. The real trigger is a small indent on the handle, here." He handed it over. "Feel it?" Kouji nodded. "Now to shoot, just press that indent with your fingernail. A red laser will come out. By cocking the gun, you can change the setting of the laser: once for low, twice for medium, and three times for high. The medium power is only enough to cause first and second degree burns while high power is for any kills needed to be made. It'll also cut through anything you need it to. Low power is just basically a stun gun." Kouji nodded in understanding and pocketed the gun before taking off. "We'll be moving the settlers to the Mt. Fuji settlement. Meet us there."

"Kage!" Takuya shouted. "Why'd you encourage him? He'll only get himself killed!"

"Even if I tried, I wouldn't have been able to stop him," Kage explained. "He's going to save the woman he loves, and it's something he has to do on his own." Takuya didn't look like he understood, but he nodded nonetheless.

-------  
Kouichi retched and vomited once more before turning on the water, rinsing out the sink. Without the bile forcing its way up his throat, he began splashing the cool water on his face. Continually, he'd glance at the mirror, splashing more of the cold liquid on his face until his panic attack finally ended and he saw his reflection to be Kouichi Kimura, and not Ken Ichijouji. He breathed heavily for a while and turned the faucet off, convincing himself that he hadn't seen what he thought he did.

_It's just a side effect from using the Kaiser's power, _he thought. _It's only natural that Ken's memories would meld with mine._

_"Kouji had decided to torture us by choosing Osamu's attire," _the Kaiser's voice explained. _"He is trying to kill us. You know what we must do, Kouichi."_

_Yes, _Kouichi thought, regaining his composure. He suddenly broke into insane laughter, just as Ken had when his nerves were shot. Along with the laughter came the remainder of the threat he hadn't been able to finish back in the forest. "Kouji, there will be no rest for you! You will pay for this, I promise!" He continued his uncontrollable laughter, allowing it to echo in the darkness.

-------  
Izumi continued walking behind the jeep, trying not to show how tired she was. She kept an even pace so the chains wrapped around her neck and wrists wouldn't have the chance to tighten, signaling the two cruelest of the Imperial Guard to drive faster in an attempt to strangle her. She'd been following that jeep for two days now, nearly reaching the town outside the forest and mountain. The area where the fire had been was two days away, just as Kage had said. The Chosen's camp and Kage's tunnels were much closer due to the fact that the quarantine tents had been made to be far away from the settlers. Throughout the two days, Izumi had slowly come to understand the physical and mental tasks that had been imposed on Kouji during the past five months.

Suddenly, the jeep stopped.

"Girl, the car stalled," a mercenary lied, laughing.

"We can't start it, so can you pull it?" another asked, nearly busting a gut with laughter.

She was chained to the front of the jeep this time. As she strained to pull it, another jeep came speeding toward her, giving her no chance to get away. And then it suddenly flipped over.

"What was that?" the first soldier questioned.

The second began cursing and pointing. "Look!" he shouted. Standing before them was Garmmon.

"Slide Evolution! Wolfmon!"

The soldiers in the overturned jeep began cursing loudly as they tried to escape, yelling at their comrades to shoot Wolfmon before he could attack. But he calmly stood there, unmoving. The soldiers in the overturned jeep escaped and began running as the other two stooges started shooting at Wolfmon.

"Licht Sieger!" he shouted, taking out his weapon and slamming it onto Izumi's chains. They broke instantly and Wolfmon devolved into Kouji, trying to take a shocked Izumi to safety.

A bullet found its way into his left shoulder. Rapidly, he removed Kage's gun from his pocket and cocked it tree times before firing. The deadly laser struck the overturned jeep, setting it ablaze. The soldiers that had been trapped in it were long gone, and the other two were easily able to run. Kouji gave them a chance to live that they'd never given him.

Sometime later, when they had reached a safe ledge on Mt. Fuji, they sat down to rest. Kouji removed his green shirt and placed it over Izumi's torn pink top. The new shirt was slightly long over her small frame, but it was better than what she had. He instructed her to remove the torn shirt once she had the green one on.

"You didn't kill them," Izumi noticed.

"It wouldn't have solved anything," he answered, taking deep breaths. "Come on," he urged. "The others are at the Mt. Fuji Settlement. We're near there."

"How did you find me?" Izumi questioned.

"It took a lot of tracking, but I managed to find the jeep you were chained to. Luckily, Kouichi's soldiers don't think that we'd hide in an abandoned ski lodge. Guess he thinks we prefer hiding in conspicuous forests." His face suddenly twisted in pain.

"What is it?" Izumi checked, being careful not to touch his left arm for fear of agitating the new injury.

"My DNA's trying to recode," he answered.

"Your evolutions," she realized. "You went into relapse."

"It was worth it," he replied. He carefully pulled out his pills, but he was in too much pain to open the bottle. Izumi took it and placed a pill in his mouth. He swallowed carefully.

"There's another hospital Dr. Yamamoto works in," she informed. "It's not as close as the one at the settlement, but he should be there now and you wouldn't have to climb the mountain. But it's in the town below. We'd have to go into Imperial territory."

"Kouichi put an APB out on me," Kouji protested. "You and Dr. Yamamoto will only be in more danger." Izumi's face was tense, but an idea struck her.

"How about if I go out and say that we were attacked and our ID papers were stolen? You were too injured to make it through the mountain pass, so I had to go alone. Dr. Yamamoto would help us. The Imperials think he's on their side, but he's really with us. We'll figure out a way to slip you inside."

"Hold on," Kouji interrupted, using his right hand to remove his hair tie. Somewhat sloppily, he braided Izumi's hair, keeping it together with the elastic band. "I don't want you to be recognized."

"I'll be back soon," she promised, kissing his cheek. And she began running down the mountain paths to the town and hospital. Kouji leaned up against the rock side and closed his eyes, allowing himself to sleep in order to conserve the energy he needed to fight the mutations.

-------  
Kouji snapped awake as though he'd been asleep for no more than a few seconds. Izumi was sitting next to him, still wearing his green shirt, and she carefully placed her hand over his mouth.

"The room could be bugged," she whispered in his ear. "In a few minutes, we have to begin an argument. Dr. Yamamoto is going to come in and say either 'Good to see you're awake' or 'Could you lower your voices? Other patients need their rest.' If he says the first, we're safe to talk. But if he says the second, Kage's instruments have picked up a bug." She removed her hand from his mouth.

"Kage's here?" he whispered quietly.

"Yeah, and so is everyone else. We needed to save this hospital. Too many patients are dying."

"Abuse?"

"Looks that way."

He shifted his position in the bed, trying not to injure himself anymore than he already was. Finally, he found the switch that raised the bed and he got himself into a sitting position.

"How long was I out?" he whispered.

"Four days," she replied. "Just enough time for the others to arrive and for the bacteria to completely die in your system."

"That's good," he decided. He stretched himself, surprised to see that he was in his normal clothes, minus his shirt. He was even more surprised to feel that his hair was a lot shorter than before.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Izumi added. "We had to cut your hair. It was the only way you could get in unrecognized. Hope you don't mind, but it's a cut like Kage's."

"Somehow I have the feeling that it doesn't matter whether or not I mind."

Izumi smiled at his dry humor. "Look on the bright side: It'll grow back by the time Kouri reaches the worst of her hair-pulling stage."

"Great," he commented sarcastically. "Do we have any false names or anything I have to remember?"

"Yes. I'm Amiko Toyowa and you're Masaki Nishigawa."

"You ready to start?" he checked.

"I guess we'd better right now." Aloud, she announced. "You're awake. I'm not sure if it's a blessing or a curse."

"What is that supposed to mean, Amiko?" Kouji asked.

"You know, we nearly didn't get in because of you. How could you lose your papers, Masaki Nishigawa?"

"It's not my fault they were stolen after that guy shot me! Plus you lost yours too!"

"And whose fault is that?"

"You're blaming this on me? I wasn't the one that decided to take a nice little stroll through the mountains even though there were gangs hiding there."

"Oh, so it's my fault now?" Izumi questioned defensively. "My family was right about you. You're nothing but a…"

"Great! It's the wisdom of the Toyowa family!" Kouji mocked. "It's not like they were ever right about anything before."

"Excuse me," Dr. Yamamoto interrupted, walking in. He unplugged Kouji from the IV and placed a bandage on the small needle hole it left behind. "It's good to see you're awake." It was safe to talk freely, but they all kept their voices low. "The others have just ambushed the Imperial Guard in here. The hospital is free and the patients are safe."

"What about the town?" Kouji questioned.

"Emancipated last night," Kage replied, stepping in. "All the people are free from the Kaiser's control. We're finally saving enough people to outnumber those that are under the Kaiser's thumb."

"Great!" Izumi declared.

"Come on, Dr. Yamamoto," Kage urged. "We'd better see to everyone else." He closed the door as they walked out.

"Were you treated for anything?" Kouji checked.

"Exhaustion and acute dehydration," Izumi replied. "Pretty much the same as you, but your dehydration was more severe and that IV kept adding vitamins into your system because of your malnourishment."

"That describes pretty much everyone that lived as one of Kouichi's slaves," Kouji answered.

"Yeah, everyone's getting treatment for that, along with some vaccinations. Kouri's getting hers soon."

"I've already gotten mine."

"Your family said that."

"How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess. But this war has done more than anyone thought it would. I guess this is why so many soldiers always suffered those psychological problems. The doctors said something about getting us psychiatric help when this is all over."

"No doctor can help us deal with what we've seen," Kouji explained. "We've faced wars left and right, and we were recruited to save a distant world from a power hungry monster. And now we have to do it again, but in this world, and with a monster we knew as our friend."

"Will you ever be able to forgive Kouichi for what he's done?" Izumi questioned.

"Yes. He's my brother. It's a bond we have to come to understand, something the Kaiser doesn't seem to. He can make Kouichi believe whatever he wants, but Kouichi can't kill me because he'll literally be killing a part of himself." They were both silent for a moment. "Will you be able to forgive him?"

"I will, but it's the same thing I told you on the log. I just can't love him anymore. I was feeling it then, and when he kissed me… It wasn't right. I felt Kouichi in there, but I didn't feel his love—the love he'd shown me long before the Kaiser took over him." The sudden silence took them again. Izumi knew she had to break it now, or lose her chance to speak her heart forever. "Besides, I think I might be falling in love with you. And it's not because you wouldn't let Kouichi hurt me. I've had this feeling since we got to know each other in the Digital World, but it was hard enough for you to even make friends. I didn't want to pressure you, so I just pushed away my feelings and concentrating on forming a friendship with you. But Kouichi ended up making friends so much more quickly… I guess I mistook friendship with him for what I wanted with you. Maybe I was the one that didn't want to be pressured." She took a breath. "But if all you want is friendship, it's fine with me."

"You want to know why Kouichi hates me?" Kouji asked, seeming to change the subject. "As twins, part of our curse is that he and I sometimes know what the other is feeling, like the time he fell at the Shibuya station. I was in the elevator when I suddenly felt something shut down, a void of thinking. I glanced up, feeling as though I'd just gone through part of what Kouichi had been through. But with him… He tends to know what I'm thinking before I even know what it is. A lot of times, he's in my head, like he's searching for me. He did that once, and began searching through my memories. But I doubt he knows that I can feel his thoughts too. That's one reason why he hates me, but the Kaiser just increases the conflict."

"How?"

"He keeps letting Kouichi know what I'm feeling. If I'm hopeful, he'll torture me. If I'm miserable, he'll torture me even more. Lately, I've figured out how to keep him out of my mind, but he only got angrier. During those last three months, he tortured me worse than before. Before, he'd almost never used the crucifix torture, but he ended up giving me that everyday. I could have died, but like I said, he wouldn't let me. But there's more. The day I got sick, just before Sakiko shot Akagami, I felt Kouichi's anger making me weaker, like our bond was being tested again. I watched him murder one of his colonels, a man named Reiyama." Izumi gasped. "Don't pity him; he's killed enough people to deserve it. I think Kouichi, or at least the Kaiser, knows I've been sick, and that's why he had Akagami give me cyanide."

"But it was for Miyagami too," Izumi protested. Kouji shook his head.

"It was meant for me. You can even ask Sakiko—Akagami was right next to me with a spilled bottle of cyanide pills. If Miyagami had been given any, he'd have died sooner, and a lot less painfully. And… Kouichi knows something else. I gave it away back in the forest."

"What is it?"

"Friendship with you isn't all I want. I'm falling in love with you too." She stared at him in complete shock. He'd never shown any seeds of jealousy when she was dating Kouichi; he had been the one to tell her to go for it and not be afraid of the budding relationship. How was it possible for two best friends to end up this way?

Kage opened the door, tossing Kouji his mended blue shirt.

"Hate to break this up, but we have to move out soon. We're heading for the Digital World." He stepped out and closed the door behind him.

Kouji pulled his shirt on over his short hair. Izumi helped him to his feet and returned his bandana.

"Keep it," he offered. "I really don't need it anymore." Carefully, he tied it around her head. "Besides, it looks better on you." She smiled.

"If you're going to kiss her, do it already!" Kage urged from outside. Izumi and Kouji both turned red.

"Come on!" Sakiko continued. "It's not like anyone's watching you or anything! This is the first good thing that's happened to both of you in a while! Enjoy it!"

"Nice audience," Kouji commented, feeling very nervous.

"I guess we'd better give them what they want or else they won't get away from that door," Izumi realized.

"And I think it's too far down to jump out the window," Kouji added.

"Just do it!" Sakiko and Kage insisted.

Slowly, Izumi and Kouji kissed, taking their time as neither of them had expected to be forced to kiss under circumstances like these. Izumi found that Kouji's kiss was unpracticed, yet flawless. Unlike Kouichi, he didn't give her the giddiness or confusion, but a sweet tenderness that couldn't be matched. She felt completely aware, like they were the only ones who could know the other. Kouji felt the same kind love that he'd felt only one time before: on the beach when he nearly died in her arms. Neither had an afterimage of anyone else intruding on them. They felt as though they were one with each other, like there was nothing either didn't know about the other. They both now knew with whom they belonged: the focus of their hearts.

_Tachyon: theoretical particle that travels faster than the speed of light_

**Um, the Kaiser's one speaking part was stolen from _Spider-Man._ It was a good movie. Plus there was a reference to _Star Wars_ with the line "more machine than human or Digimon." It came from Obi-Wan's "more machine now than man" in _Return of the Jedi. _Also, the dragging of the jeep was inspired by something in this movie on Harriet Tubman that we had to watch in eighth grade. Gennai's database is something sort of used in Lord Archive's Diaries Universe, where one member of each team keeps stats on the Chosen/Digi-destined/whatever they call themselves in that area.**


	7. Mirai, Part One

_"The future I must walk_  
_Is illuminated by the light that guides me  
__Courage is born in my hands  
__The future I must walk; a new future  
__Ahead of where I pointed, I'll go there soon  
__To the future I must walk, overflowing with light."  
__Jenrya Lee—"Mirai"  
__(Translated by Megchan)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Five: "Mirai, Part One"

Kouji and Izumi entered the lobby to be greeted by loud cheering. They looked around in confusion, while Sakiko tried to look innocent. Kage kept his business face on, but it was obvious that he was also guilty. In an instant, it hit them right across the face like a sack of bricks. Kouji cringed while Izumi covered her mouth with both her hands. Was it possible for anyone in the Resistance to keep a secret?

"So that's what Kage meant," Takuya commented, remembering how Kage's words about Kouji's "going to save the woman he loved."

"Good to see you two are okay," Tomoki added.

"A year ago, I'd have hated you," Junpei admitted to Kouji. "But I guess I can't now. It's just the way things turn out."

"My baby," Tomoko Kimura declared, hugging her son. But she let go quickly, remembering his injured arm. "My baby boy is all grown up. I saw it before, but I just wasn't able to admit it until now."

The whole time, Kouji and Izumi took it as best they could, trying not to look completely humiliated, and vowing revenge on Kage and Sakiko for their embarrassing encouragement, and for telling the whole world what had happened between them.

"Okay, can I have your attention please?" Kage called. Finally, the entire lobby calmed down to a silence. "Thank you. Now, I think it's pretty safe to say that we're all proud of Kouji and Izumi for _finally _admitting their feelings to each other, even though they only noticed their attraction to each other four days ago." There was a short round of applause that ended for Kage to continue his speech. "Now, I hate to say this, but back to business. We've claimed this town, and we have several outposts all over the world. My sources in China say that Hong Kong has already been liberated, and contacts in the Caribbean have informed me that several islands have been freed, including Trinidad, Tobago, St. Lucia, and Hispaniola. Parts of countries all over the world are beginning rebellions. But the Imperial Guard is moving on. Agents in the Digital World have contacted me. They need back up: fresh supplies, medicine, ammunition, and most of all, the Legendary Warriors. A team of us must leave for the Digital World. The rest will remain to assist the Japanese Resistance Force."

"Well, I'm in," Takuya decided.

"Count me in too!" Tomoki agreed.

"I guess I'll go," Junpei decided.

Kouji looked at Izumi for a moment before saying, "That makes it unanimous."

"Good," Kage answered. "The North and South American, Australian, Asian, African, and European Resistance Forces have all agreed to lend their support for the troops in the Digital World. It was a hard decision, but Himi and I decided that he and Gabumon would remain with Sakiko, Kotemon, Koemon, and the Kimura-Minamotos. The rest of us will go. The Shinjuku Resistance force has offered their support and some of their troops to remain here under Himi's command."

"The Digital World will be dangerous," Takuya informed.

"Yes, I know," Kage replied. "And thanks to a new battle strategy developed by the forces in the Digital World, we have a way of stopping the Imperials. The Kaiser uses his power to control his forces. Those who are controlled are marked with dark eyes covered by shadows, as we've all seen. But the Kaiser's power has a serious flaw: It's all data. His power is limited to DigiCode."

"Meaning?" Takamoto questioned.

"Meaning that a simple DigiCode scan can cure them," Kage answered, not even bothering to hide his excitement. "We can free the Kaiser's other prisoners: his soldiers. Our forces will multiply. We will win."

"One problem," Junpei noticed. "You don't have D-scanners."

"The Resistance in the Digital World does. They made several artificial D-scanners that work just as well as the real ones. After scanning the DigiCode, the enemy automatically becomes an ally. There will be artificial D-scanners waiting for us there. My contacts sent me the information to create a few artificial D-scanners for our forces here." He tossed Himi one. "This has the special plug-ins to help evolve Gabumon again. He can reach the Adult, Perfect, and Ultimate stages now. Choose whichever fits the situation."

"Yes, sir," Himi answered, securing it to his belt.

"All right, troops, let's move out," Kage decided. They bid their colleagues farewell and set out on their journey.

The trip to a Tokyo train station was tough; dodging the Imperial Guard, keeping out of sight, and getting supplies were no easy tasks. But with Kage's help, the troupe finally made it to a train station in the outermost prefecture of Tokyo.

"Remember," Kage whispered, "we stay together. Under no circumstances must we separate." He pulled out what appeared to be a soda can. He held his breath as everyone stepped back and opened the can, releasing a powerful knockout gas. He threw it into the station. Within seconds, they heard the thuds of Imperial soldiers hitting the ground upon passing out.

"Spirit Evolution!" Izumi ordered quietly. "Fairymon!" Being careful not to inhale the vapors of the knockout gas, she held out her hands toward the gas's origin. "Brezza Petalo!" Ribbons of wind burst from her fingertips, blowing away the gas. That attended to, Fairymon devolved to a very anxious Izumi.

"Come on!" Kage mouthed, leading them all into the terminal.

They were all extremely careful not to make a sound so as not to alert any conscious Imperials to their presence. Several elevators were ready and waiting for them when the passed the turnstiles.

"This is too convenient," Kouji decided. The other Chosen nodded, but they all silently entered the elevators. Down, deeper and deeper they went, descending far beneath the lowest sublevel. Sensing almost immediately that something was amiss, Kouji cocked his gun once, followed instantly by everyone else inside the elevator. He quickly exchanged a glance with Izumi, who had her D-scanner ready and waiting.

"Now," Kouji whispered.

"Spirit Evolution! Fairymon!" She was careful to keep her wings from bumping anyone by pressing up against the side of the elevator. Soon, it stopped. Each Resistance fighter held a stun pistol out toward the doors, which swished open to reveal a legion of Imperials!

The Imperial Guard was crawling all over the station, seemingly in an attempt to prevent the Resistance from boarding the Trailmon. The fighters all fired their weapons, paralyzing their enemies, but more only continued to appear.

"Brezza Petalo!" Fairymon attacked while Kouji continued firing at the Imperials that were threatening them. "Evolve, you guys!" Fairymon ordered upon seeing the remaining three Warriors.

"Spirit Evolution!"

"Agnimon!"

"Chakmon!"

"Blitzmon!"

The four Legendary Warriors went into action, Kouji providing cover fire.

"Burning Salamander!" Agnimon's flames rushed toward his adversaries, burning them only enough to cause minor damage.

"Lightning Blitz!" Blitzmon's electricity showed the Imperials no mercy as each of their weapons attracted the lightning bolts, giving their users a nasty shock.

"Snow Bomber!" And as if Fire and Thunder weren't enough, little Chakmon was certainly making these soldiers question their allegiances and rethink their careers with his painful Ice Spirit.

"There are too many," Kouji realized, reaching for his D-scanner.

"Wait," Fairymon instructed. "I have a plan. Slide Evolution! Shutumon!" She formed red energy orbs on her hands and feet and rushed toward the Imperials. "Gilgamesh Slicer!"

"What is she doing?" Agnimon asked as he tried to fend off several angry soldiers. All around, bullets and lasers were flying.

The soldiers Shutumon had aimed for automatically hit the floor for fear of her attack. But they should have known better, for when they tried to get up, Kouji had a clear shot at them all. His evolutions had allowed him to learn quite a bit about shooting, and his aim had improved since his first time evolving to Wolfmon. Each soldier he fired at hit the ground; some paralyzed, others unconscious from a shot to the head. None of them was dead. Again, he'd let them live.

"DigiCode Scan!" Kouji ordered, quickly releasing the soldiers from Kouichi's control. He then looked up to see a team of Imperials behind Shutumon.

"Behind you!" they both warned at the same time. Rapidly, they each headed to the left and attacked their assailants.

"Wind of Pain!" Shutumon shouted, taking out many more soldiers much more quickly than Kouji could with his gun.

Finally, everything seemed done. DigiCode had been scanned and soldiers (both Resistance and reformed Imperials) began to board the Trailmon. Just then, bullets began flying once more as more Imperials approached.

"Get on!" Agnimon ordered, blasting at the Imperials with his Fire Darts.

"The Trailmon's leaving!" Chakmon observed.

The Chosen Children and Takamoto ran (and some flew) for the Trailmon, turning their backs on the deadly firefight.

One newly fallen soldier in the Imperial Guard fired his gun, landing the bullet directly into Takamoto's left calf muscle. He hit the floor, blood streaming from his wound, as the Trailmon drove out of sight. Just when he thought it was all over, he felt himself being hoisted up by two strong pairs of hands…

Everyone began panting for breath as the Trailmon started to pass between the dimensional barrier separating the Real and Digital Worlds.

"Prepare yourselves for some turbulence," Takuya cautioned, bracing himself for the transition from DNA to data.

It hit them all like a jolt caused by a pothole or something in the tracks. Takuya watched himself flash in and out of his evolutions of Agnimon, Vritramon, Ardhamon, and KaiserGreymon. He looked around the car, seeing some people shaken up by the transformations. Even Kage didn't seem prepared for it! His face was looking rather green, and he was tightly gripping the edge of his seat, his knuckles turning white. Everyone around him tried to stay calm as the transformations hit and the non-Chosen's bodies were electrified with pale blue energy. The densely packed car made it hard to avoid the electricity, and it was hard to breathe with all the people around.

And yet, it seemed as though something was missing…

And that was when it hit him. He glanced around, the only evolutions he saw being Junpei to Blitzmon and Bolgmon, and Tomoki to Chakmon and Blizzarmon. Kouji and Izumi were nowhere in sight!

He ran around the cars, trying to locate his friends, keeping a sharp eye open for anyone crossing over to the other evolutions, or for a flash of long blond hair or short bluish-black. But the search was in vain.

"Kage, we have to do a headcount," Takuya requested. "Izumi and Kouji are missing." The young man nodded and began going around the cars, searching for their lost comrades, but to no avail.

"It isn't just those two who are missing," Kage replied sometime later. "Takamoto hasn't been seen either. And there's no way of going back for them. We have to finish our mission." He glanced out the window, hoping beyond hope for the best. "Luckily, we have the other Resistance fighters out there. Some of them were going to check and make sure everyone got to the Digital World safely. They're also responsible for getting the injured to Dr. Yamamoto. Kouji and Izumi will be okay, I promise."

_Three Years Later  
_"Masaki! Masaki!" cheered the crowd as fifteen-year-old Masaki Nishigawa exploded down the track, leaving his opponents behind in the dust. The dark-haired youth was a blur as he raced toward the finish line, giving the competition no chance to recover. In a final burst of energy, he tore through the bright green ribbon of the finish line, eventually slowing to a stop as his momentum eased. The entire school cheered for the young man, a freshman who had volunteered to take over for the real track star, who'd been drafted the week before. No one thought the boy would make it, but his single week of training had certainly paid off.

Masaki wandered over to the bench and grabbed his water bottle, taking a long sip from it. The coach and the others on the track team praised him, but were sure not to pat him on the back or give him a high five like with usual athletes due to his agoraphobic tendencies, such as a general dislike of crowds or of people touching him.

"Great job, Masaki," congratulated his girlfriend, Amiko Toyowa, another freshman.

"Thanks," he answered.

"See you at home?"

"Yeah."

Masaki and Amiko shared a house outside of town with a friend of theirs who always came to pick them up from school. The tale was that both teens had lost their parents in the war, and lived too far away from their other relatives to take care of them. So a twenty-one-year-old called Reiji offered to let them stay at his place.

In the locker room, the young man showered and changed into a dark blue T-shirt and blue athletic pants—not exactly conform with the June heat, but comfortable enough for him.

"Hey, Nishigawa," the coach called. "Surprise visitor in the office for you. It's the Kaiser."

The air was thick with amazement and impressed whispers. Masaki just imitated an excited expression masked by exhaustion and headed for the principal's office, where an Imperial officer was waiting outside the door. Masaki allowed the soldier to pat him down, searching for any weapons (which the boy didn't have). Masaki wasn't exactly pleased with this treatment, but he agreed to it anyway. After all, it wasn't like the youth had something to hide…

Or did he?

Masaki was ruled as unarmed and allowed to approach the Digimon Kaiser.

"Masaki Nishigawa, correct?" the Kaiser checked in a smooth voice.

"Yes," the young man answered stiffly.

"No need to be so nervous around me," the Kaiser assured in his same cool voice. "You're fifteen, same age as me, so it's like we're peers. You have no need to be this anxious."

Masaki couldn't help it. In his experience, that voice always meant trouble. But that wasn't what he was going to tell the tyrannical fifteen-year-old.

"Sorry," he apologized, praying that his long-gone puberty had helped to disguise his voice. "Habit, I guess."

"Understandable," the Kaiser answered. "I suppose you haven't had much experience with real authority."

_That's what you think, _Masaki thought. Aloud, he said, "Something like that. Also, I'm kind of winded from the race."

"I can understand," the Kaiser replied. "I saw you run. You're excellent, the best out there. I was hoping you might join the Imperial Guard."

"I'm only fifteen," Masaki reminded.

"Not now, of course," the Kaiser assured. "But say in your senior year."

"I don't know," Masaki answered, his dark gray eyes focused on the sky outside. "I've never been one for war. I'm not exactly what I'd call a soldier. Whenever I'm in a fight, I just get lucky. Ask anyone." And it was the truth. Though he had been in many fights, he'd never enjoyed any of them. For him, victory was off the battlefield—where life replaced death. That was why he ran: to forget it all.

"Just consider my offer though," the Kaiser insisted. "Your parents are not present, am I correct?"

"Present?" Masaki asked, seeing someone approaching from the distance.

"Your parents died in the war, according to your records," the Kaiser observed.

"Yes, that's what my bio says."

"Then I can understand why you have such misgivings about war. I dislike it too, but I must fight. My family was claimed by the war—both my parents, my stepmother, and my sister died." Masaki noted that the Kaiser made no mention to the brother he was rumored to have.

"Then you can understand why I don't want to lose anyone either," he answered.

"I hate to inform you, but everyone has to die sooner or later. It's all just a part of a vicious cycle we all exist in."

"But still, I would rather live with the people I know and love than die on the battlefield with a group of strangers. What about you?" This time he'd gathered the strength to look directly into the Kaiser's eyes.

For a moment, the Kaiser stared at Masaki's eyes, wondering if the dark gray was from his influence or if it was the boy's natural eye color. There was only one person that had ever gotten that much courage to argue with him, but there was no way he'd show his face like this…

Just then, a birdlike woman was seen hovering outside. She swiped at the window, releasing a tornado to break the glass.

"Wind of Pain!" Both Masaki and the Kaiser were showered with broken glass. The teenaged ruler gritted his teeth and growled while the athlete looked at the woman in shock.

"Shutumon."

**I cut ahead three years because I felt it would work better with the story. Plus wars don't end after five months. That's just ridiculous. The agoraphobia thing I looked up in psychology: It's the fear of open spaces or crowds. My mom gave me the "my baby" thing, though she actually got it from _The Cosby Show_. And the line "We will win" is from Minmei's song from _Robotech—_"We Will Win."**


	8. Mirai, Part Two

_"The future I must walk  
__Is illuminated by the light that guides me  
__Courage is born in my hands  
__The future I must walk; a new future  
__Ahead of where I pointed, I'll go there soon  
__To the future I must walk, overflowing with light."  
__Jenrya Lee—"Mirai"  
__(Translated by Megchan)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Five: "Mirai, Part Two"

"Shutumon," the Kaiser recognized, his voice no more than a low growl. Instead of answering, Shutumon grabbed a shocked Masaki and flew toward the forest, where a dark green SUV was waiting. She deposited him inside and devolved to a human form: Amiko Toyowa, or Izumi Orimoto as she was better known among the Resistance.

"Not bad," Masaki complimented, removing the dark contacts that had been covering his irises. Instead of dark gray, his eyes were a clear deep blue, vigorous and full of life. Izumi's contacts were also removed, revealing her aqua-green eyes. "Great work, Izumi."

"Thank you, Kouji. Your act inside with Kouichi was great too."

"Yeah," Masaki, or Kouji Minamoto, replied. "But I got too tense in there."

"Why?" Izumi questioned. "Agoraphobia attack?"

"No. It was more instinct than anything. He was using his '_onii-san_ wants to murder _ototo-chan_' voice," Kouji explained.

"Hate to interrupt," their driver intervened, "but we're not exactly out of the woods. This is Imperial territory, remember? You'd better lie down back there until we get to the settlement."  
Kouji nodded at the red-haired, naturally steel-gray-eyed man, and lay down under the backseat, grateful (and not for the first time) that his long hair had been cut as he tried to keep his head below the wad of gum somebody had rudely placed under there.

Reiji Takamoto drove them to safety at the Mt. Fuji town they had claimed three years earlier. He positioned the SUV into the driveway of the house they and Kouji's family shared and opened his door, using his cane to stabilize himself as he got out. Then he opened the back door, allowing Kouji to get out.

Yes, at the age of twenty-one, Takamoto was dependant on a cane. Even now, he marveled at the irony: He shot Kouji in the left leg, but didn't bother to help him. But he'd been hit in the left leg as well, and Kouji never thought twice about turning around to save him. The bullet had hit his left leg muscle and sped through, destroying his leg bone. He hit the floor, rapidly losing blood, and helplessly watched the Trailmon leave without him. But Kouji had heard the gunshot and rushed back to help him, followed quickly by Shutumon. Takamoto couldn't believe the kindness he'd been shown. The whole ordeal still shocked him to that day.

Kouji's knee had made a full recovery as shown by his skill that day on the track. Though if it still pained him remained a mystery, as he never showed his pain to anyone. With his wolf-like reflexes and speed earned though practices and battles in his evolutions, he'd quickly become the fastest student in the school.

Takamoto, in contrast, had been told that his leg would never heal. Surprised out of selfishness, he had the skin, muscles, blood, and marrow of what remained of his amputated leg donated to those who would need it. He gladly accepted a prosthetic leg, triumphantly securing it to the small stub of leg that existed below his knee, and walked with the aid of a cane.

Inside the house, a group of Resistance fighters cheered loudly when Kouji entered, spurring memories of the last time they'd cheered him—three years ago, for admitting his feelings to Izumi.

"What's so exciting?" Kouji questioned.

"Kouji!" three-year-old Kouri cried, running up to him, begging to be held. Kouji lifted the tiny girl and held her as he looked around.

"What's going on?" Izumi asked.

"'Zumi!" Kouri recognized, reaching over to hug her. Kouji kept his sister from falling as she quickly hugged Izumi and returned to a more upright position.

"Glad to see you too, Kouri," Izumi commented.

"You're okay!" Kouri noticed, hugging Kouji tightly.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he questioned.

"Shh!" Sakiko ordered. At sixteen, she still stayed the same, only she had grown taller and developed a little more fully. "It's back on!"

The Resistance gathered around a television, where they saw a live press conference from Kouji and Izumi's high school. Kouichi was there, answering questions from reporters.

_"Are there any suspects in the kidnapping?"_ one asked.

_"As I've said before, the Resistance is our number one suspect,"_ Kouichi answered. _"One of their agents was seen carrying him off. But I have reason to suspect the fugitive Kouji Minamoto is behind all this."_ An age-progressed version of Kouji's fifth grade yearbook photo appeared on screen. It proved once and for all just how "accurate" computers could be. The picture still had Kouji with long hair, and his facial features were entirely different. _"If anyone spots him, contact the local police at once."_

_"And for those of you just tuning in, that was the Digimon Kaiser reporting on the kidnapping of high school student Masaki Nishigawa,"_ the anchor informed_. "Again, if you have any information on the kidnapping, here's a number to call…"_ Himi got up and switched off the television.

"Lucky for us that age progression isn't very accurate," he commented.

"All of Japan will be after you now, Kouji," Tomoko Kimura realized.

"But they are looking for the wrong man," her ex-husband reminded.

"Mom's right though," Kouji decided. "I will have to be more careful this time."

"You won't let Kouichi and the bad guys get you?" Kouri checked.

"Of course not," Kouji promised.

"We'll all help him to make sure the bad guys don't get him," Izumi added. Kouri smiled, content with that.

Kouji yawned and put his sister down. "I'm going to bed."

"We all better," Izumi realized. "It's going to be a long day tomorrow. Luckily it's a weekend, so we don't have to worry too much about incidents in school."

"Okay, party's over," Takamoto decided, politely shooing Himi, Gabumon, Sakiko, Koemon, and Kotemon out the door. "See you all tomorrow." He suddenly stopped the door with his cane. "By the way, Himi, you and Gabumon can go to Ultimate, right?"

"Yeah," Himi answered.

"Why?" Gabumon asked. "Is there something important for me to become MetalGarurumon?"

"Maybe. I have an idea, but it'll have to wait till tomorrow."

-------  
"I want you to see this," Kouichi's voice spoke. "These are the horrors of war."

Kouji saw the images of World War II: the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the concentration and internment camps in Europe and the U.S., fighter planes getting shot down while their pilots either died in the crashes or were shot as they parachuted to safety, troops of soldiers being murdered in senseless firefights, people burning alive in fires, people suffocating in gas chambers, and Hitler's inhumane experimentations on his prisoners.

And Kouji was experiencing that one firsthand.

He'd been stripped of his shirt and strapped onto some kind of bed. All around him, people were screaming, dying, as the Nazi guards injected toxins into the innocent people's bloodstreams.

"God save us," begged one dying man. "What did we ever do to deserve this?"

"What did he get you for?" asked a small boy who'd been strapped on a bed next to Kouji. "What did you do?"

"Hush, Jakob," urged an unseen boy. "He'll hear you."

"Who?" Kouji questioned.

A mysterious figure entered from the shadows. Kouji was in disgust to see that it was Kouichi.

The self-proclaimed Digimon Kaiser placed a dark cloth over Jakob's face and began injecting the boy with various chemicals. Each time he did, the boy screamed out in pain and began having violent spasms. Beside him, the other boy could be heard moaning with pain, as though he'd been feeling it too.

"Stop it, Kouichi!" Kouji shouted. "They're just kids!"

"I'll stop, once I'm through here," his brother answered. Soon, there were no more sobs or seizures from Jakob. Kouichi removed the black cloth, revealing the boy's blank face, his eyes sightlessly gazing toward the ceiling. Finally, Kouji could see the boy on Jakob's other side. The boy was Jakob's twin brother, and he was crying.

Suddenly, a leather strap was tightened around Kouji's forehead, pressing the back of his head against the bed. A cloth identical to Jakob's was placed over his face.

"Kouji, I doubt you'll know the answer, but I might as well ask you," Kouichi stated. "Do you know who Hitler did some of his worst experiments on?" The toxic substance was injected into his arm. If Kouichi gave an answer, Kouji didn't hear it over the involuntary shout of pain he'd released…

Kouji sat up immediately, finding that he was in the boys' dorm of their house. He had been lying on a futon placed near the wall, and his blanket was on his lap. Around him, the others were still asleep, unaware that their roommate was up.

_What was it? _Kouji asked himself, trying to remember what had happened in his dream. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate, but no memory of the nightmare existed. Defeated, he stood up and cautiously made his way to a chair that he'd thrown his shirt on. The summer humidity was making the room hot and sticky, only adding to the sweat beading down his forehead. He pulled on his shirt, unconsciously avoiding touching part of his arm—exactly where the needle had entered in his dream. Having had enough of the heat, he carefully exited to turn on the air conditioning.

"Kouji, are you okay?" Izumi checked. She was standing outside the door of the girls' dorm.

"Yeah," he replied.

"You look like you haven't slept in days. I noticed it in school, but you had been training for all that time, so I thought you just got tired from that."

"I haven't been sleeping well this whole week."

"What's wrong?"

"I think Kouichi's been trying to reach me. I don't have any proof, except for nightmares I can't even remember just after waking up."

"Let's go see Dr. Yamamoto," Izumi suggested. "Maybe he'll know a way to help you."

They both retrieved their shoes and Izumi went to the kitchen to grab Takamoto's keys. But before leaving, they left behind a note for their housemates, assuring them that they were okay and that they'd be back soon.

Izumi drove because Kouji was too shaken up. It never really mattered which of them was the driver because they'd both had their fair share of driving instruction. But on this night, it was just better to let Izumi drive than risk Kouji causing an accident in the quiet town.

"How is Kouichi getting into your mind?" Izumi questioned. "I thought you figured out how to block him."

"I did, but I've been training for the past week, so I've been getting too tired to keep that barrier up. All I really know is that he's after me. And this time, he will kill me."

"Why? I thought he couldn't."

"Kouichi can't, but the Kaiser can. I think the same thing is happening to Kouichi that happened to Ken three or four years ago. Day by day, Kouichi and the Kaiser are becoming one."

"But how? And why isn't it happening faster?"

"I don't know how or why. But I do know that if this keeps up, Kouichi soon won't remember anything about who he used to be."

"You never answered my first question," Izumi pointed out. "Why is Kouichi going to kill you now?"

He shrugged. "Who can really say? But I think it's because according to his sick and twisted mind, I committed the most heinous crime of them all: I fell in love with you."

They remained silent throughout the remainder of the drive. Finally, the hospital was in sight. Izumi parked the SUV, and they both walked to the front doors, an uncomfortable silence between them.

"We're here to see Dr. Yamamoto," Izumi requested.

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked.

"No, but he knows us. Tell him Orimoto and Minamoto are here," she informed.

"Just a minute," the receptionist answered. She picked up the receiver of her phone (which was on the secured hospital line so no Imperials could eavesdrop) and dialed the doctor. After only a few seconds, the receptionist hung up. "He'll be with you two in a minute," she explained in her stuffy-nosed monotone. "He's finishing up with a patient."

The couple sat down in the lobby, where only three years ago they'd gathered to help the Digital World Resistance Force. As he waited, Kouji closed his eyes but dared not to sleep, fearing the images that had plagued him the whole week.

"I hope I have not forced you to wait long," Dr. Yamamoto commented. Just with one look at Kouji, he understood with whom the problem laid. "Come into my office."

Inside the doctor's office was a coffee pot—uncommon for Asia, but the extra caffeine was something the aging doctor was coming to rely on for late-night patients. He offered a cup to each teenager. Izumi declined, but Kouji accepted graciously, slowly sipping the hot, bitter liquid.

"So what is the problem?" Dr. Yamamoto questioned.

"I'm not entirely sure, but this is as much as I know." Kouji went into description of his disturbing visions and how his memories of the events evaded him, yet every morning (or night for that matter), he awoke dripping in a cold sweat, instinctively being wary of injuries he might have suffered in the nightmares. "I think Kouichi might be behind it, but I can't prove it."

"I don't like this," Dr. Yamamoto decided. "There is a psychiatrist here, Dr. Matsumoto, and he's majored in several aspects of psychology, including psychoanalysis. He deals with the patients you and the others bring in: the ones who are trying to cope with recovering from the Kaiser's power. His office is on the third floor. Tell him I sent you." Kouji placed the half-empty coffee cup on Dr. Yamamoto's desk. "One more thing," Dr. Yamamoto interrupted. He held his hand out. Kouji sighed and handed over the gun Kage had given him all those years ago. "You've been sleeping with this in your pocket again. I know for the past three years, your parents and stepmother have lectured you on how dangerous that habit is, but even I have to take a stand." He handed the pistol to Izumi, who placed it in her pocket. "See to it that this ends up in a safe place for the night." She nodded, and they left for the elevator.

"You're wearing that shirt again," Kouji noticed as he stood in the empty elevator. His old green shirt fit nicely around Izumi's delicate frame.

"You gave it to me," she pointed out.

"I didn't mean for you to wear it all the time. You wear either that or my old bandana at least once every week."

"And since when do you notice what I wear?"

Four years ago, Kouji would have turned beet-red at the comment. But he was fifteen now, not eleven, and he'd been with Izumi for three years. "I always notice what's around me, but I choose whether or not to bring attention to my observations." He demonstrated by stepping aside to let her exit the elevator doors.

Dr. Matsumoto was a serious man in his mid-sixties or early-seventies, with a slight French (or was it Flemish?) accent from his years of practice in Europe. They entered his office to see him opening an envelope with a switchblade.

"Always important to have some kind of weapon during war," he commented. "But even more important is the knowledge of when to use it."

"Dr. Matsumoto?" Izumi questioned.

"Yes."

"Dr. Yamamoto sent us," she continued. "He thought you might be able to help."

"You two must be Izumi and Kouji," he theorized. "Dr. Yamamoto called me and informed me of the problem." He placed down his unread letter and knife. "Is there anything you can remember from your dreams?"

Kouji shut his eyes and forced himself to remember. "I remember something about World War II, and Kouichi saying something, but the rest is blank. Like I told Dr. Yamamoto, I think Kouichi is trying to contact me."

"Twins have always fascinated psychologists," Dr. Matsumoto explained. "Sometimes they are able to feel the other's pain or share thoughts. Some psychologists and doctors would do sadistic experiments on them."

"That's it!" Kouji remembered. "There was something about twins!" His expression grew more somber as he forced himself to recall the nightmare.

"Is there anything you can do to help?" Izumi asked.

"There is something, but I need Kouji's full cooperation. Hypnosis should bring about the remainder of his memories of the visions. But there is a chance that it could release intense imagery, for instance: his torture as the Kaiser's slave."

Kouji's face was set with an understanding of what could happen, but he slowly nodded with determination, complying with the concept. He then sat down in a chair near the doctor's desk. Dr. Matsumoto performed the hypnotism, and Kouji's eyelids began to droop in spite of the strong coffee he'd drunk before.

"Listen to my voice, Kouji," Dr. Matsumoto ordered calmly. "On the count of ten, you will fall into a sleep-like state. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." Kouji's eyes closed and his body became still as his breathing slowed like he was asleep. "Now, Kouji, let your mind wander to the dream you had earlier. Are you there?"

"Mm-hmm," he replied, his voice tired.

"What do you see?" The young man kept his eyes closed, turning his head.

"Someone's calling me," he observed, getting up from the chair and heading toward the door.

"Kouji…" Izumi called.

"Kouji, concentrate," Dr. Matsumoto ordered.

"It was Kouichi," Kouji answered, his eyes still closed. "He wanted me to see this. He wanted me to see the horrors of World War II."

"What is it?" Dr. Matsumoto asked.

"People keep dying. Bombs. Planes crashing…their pilots either dying in the crash or being shot as they parachute away. War." He seemed to struggle against invisible bonds. His hands were at his sides, and he seemed to be trying his hardest to get them free. "I'm in a Nazi concentration camp. Everyone around me is either dying or dead. There's a boy lying on a bed next to mine, and someone next to him. Kouichi's here… He put some kind of cloth on the boy's face." He began fighting even harder. "He's trying to see if both boys share the same pain. Stop it, Kouichi! They're just kids!" He was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was much lower. "It's too late. The boy is dead." His head snapped back, as though restrained. "Someone's pulled my head back and Kouichi's covering my face with a black cloth. Now he's asking me something: 'Do you know who Hitler did some of his worst experiments on?'" He suddenly shouted in pain and had a convulsion. "'Twins.' He keeps injecting me with something! He's saying something again: 'I guess that tale about twins sharing pain is wrong. _I _don't feel a thing.'" He broke into pained shouts and violent spasms, each worse than the one before it. For three—maybe even four—years, he'd made an unspoken vow never to show any sign of pain, and he lived to it for the most part. Now he was suffering violent convulsions and screaming in pain as his brother tortured him through a dream. Dr. Matsumoto tried to bring Kouji out of it, but the boy was unable to hear the doctor.

"Kouji!" Dr. Matsumoto interrupted loudly. "I'm going to count again. When I reach ten, you will wake up. One, two, three, four, five, six…" Kouji suddenly opened his eyes, freezing the count. Breathing heavily, he stumbled back to the doctor's desk.

"Are you okay?" Izumi checked.

A dark shadow passed over his eyes, turning the blue to black—not gray, but black. There was no reflection in his eyes, as though the darkness was completely absorbing the light.

"_He's _not fine, but I am," Kouji replied in a cruel voice.

"Kouji, what's wrong with you?" Izumi questioned.

"You're not speaking to Kouji anymore. You're in the presence of the Digimon Kaiser."

If there had ever been any doubt in Izumi's mind that the Kaiser was a completely separate entity, fully capable of inhabiting another person's body, it was gone now.

"Kaiser, how did you get in there?" Izumi demanded, slowly becoming angrier and angrier.

"It was simple. When the good doctor over here hypnotized the Warrior of Light, he caused Kouji's defenses to weaken to almost non-existence. He had no way of keeping me out."

"What is it you want?" Dr. Matsumoto asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" the possessed Kouji replied, an evil glimmer in his vapid eyes. In a flash, he grabbed the knife from Dr. Matsumoto's desk and pressed it against his neck. "Try anything and Kouji has a rather painful death. Although, I can't guarantee he'll live either." He purposely let go of his control for a second, revealing a helpless Kouji Minamoto. The young man was still in a hypnotic trance, and completely unable to help himself. But the brief image of the real Kouji disappeared, and the Kaiser brought forth his full control. "Wouldn't want your helpless little boyfriend getting hurt, now would you, Izumi?"

"Kouji, I know you're still in there," Izumi calmly reasoned as he slid the knife along his neck, drawing blood. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm going to try. Listen to _my _voice now. On the count of ten, you have to wake up. One, two, three…" The knife pressed closer… "Four, five, six…" Another cut was sliced, just above the previous… "Seven, eight, nine…" The knife began moving away… "Ten."

The shadows in Kouji's eyes flickered and vanished. He pulled the knife away and stared at it in confusion.

"I didn't…" he began, searching for the correct words. "I wasn't…" He dropped the weapon as if in pain while the darkness fought its way through him, glazing his eyes over again.

"That was clever, Izumi," Kaiser-Kouji complimented. He pressed her against the wall, keeping his left hand just over her shoulder to prevent her escape. "I can see why both brothers love you."

"You separated from Kouichi just to get into Kouji, didn't you?" Izumi asked.

"I didn't have to. Kouichi and I are symbiotic. It just depends on whether or not he can control my power. I, as you can see, can control his fairly simply."

"Kouji was right," Izumi realized. "You are a monster."

"Only fitting that I now have complete control over the one person who figured that out."

"Not yet," Kouji denied, fighting for control of his mind. He let go of Izumi, but was unable to remove his hand from the wall. "Izumi, the gun!"

She cocked it once and fired. The low-power laser paralyzed him, keeping him against the wall.

"Stop him," Kouji begged as his consciousness began to lose control. Izumi slipped away on her left.

"Take this!" Dr. Matsumoto ordered, tossing her a small, heavy vase.

"I hate doing this," Izumi apologized.

"I understand," Kouji replied, losing all control.

Izumi brought the vase up and smashed it onto the back of Kouji's head. The hard bisque porcelain shattered and Kouji fell to the floor. Izumi knelt beside him as he lay in the fragments of painted clay, his eyes tightly closed. Was this the way their future was fated to be?

"Kouji?" she checked, forcing his eyes open to see that they were back to their normal dark blue. She hugged him carefully, but he was unable to move at all. His body was limp and immobile in her arms. "_Aishiteru_, Kouji."

"_Aishiteru_, Izumi," he whispered before falling unconscious.****

_Aishiteru: I love you_

**I had to ask Nic (Ken's luver) for permission to use that hypnosis session; it was directly from "Doppelgangland" (not _Order of the _Phoenix) A little bit was from an old fic that I killed long ago. Dr. Matsumoto was entirely based on Sydney from _The Pretender._ Also, the descriptions from the hypnotism were straight out of Jarod's Pretends. In addition, Jacob was the name of Sydney's twin brother. When Sydney found the Nazi doctor that had experimented on them and killed their parents, the guy had pronounced his name "Jakob" (which is pronounced "yah-cob" by the way).**


	9. 3 Primary Colors

_"Primary colors  
__We're still primary colors  
__Afraid of mixing with each other  
__Primary colors  
__Everything is up to our future selves  
__When we join hands  
__We'll be infinitely expanding colors."  
__Takato Matsuda, Ruki Makino, Jenrya Lee—"3 Primary Colors"  
__(Translated by Megchan)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Six: "3 Primary Colors"

Kouichi growled in fury, pacing around the room and creating total havoc in his study. His loss of control over Kouji had done more than just to frustrate him; he was maniacally releasing his emotions into full-blown rage.

"I nearly had him!" he shouted. "He had succumbed to my power and his life was in my hands! I could have killed him if it hadn't been for _her_!"

He lifted his desk and threw it against the wall, disrupting the books he used for his studies. He grabbed a book off the shelf and glanced at it for a moment before throwing it into the door.

"Everything is just child's play in here for me!" he roared. "I am the most superior being in two worlds! Nothing can stand in my way! But somehow those two do!" He slammed his fists on the overturned desk in anger, cracking the wood in his rage.

_"What power," _the Kaiser's voice commented. _"Kouichi, end your rage for a moment and look around at what you've done."_

Kouichi looked at the radius of destruction around him. His desk, which had housed several books and whatever reports his Imperial Guard could dish out on the Resistance, had been very heavy, and he'd tossed it as though it was nothing.

"Where did that come from?" Kouichi questioned. "How did I do it?"

_"Seems you've finally mastered my power," _the Kaiser observed. _"We have become one."_

"Then how are we still able to converse with each other?" he asked.

_"I am keeping a part of myself from fully assimilating with you," _the Kaiser explained. _"I do not wish to repeat the errors Ken made."_

"Understandable," Kouichi replied. "But don't you tire of being mainly a spirit without a permanent body?"

_"Your intellect and insight have rapidly enhanced too," _the Kaiser noticed. _"Yes, being a mere entity can be redundant, but it does empower me with abilities far beyond mortal man—even Digimon. Before my imprisonment in the Dark Ocean, I had never found a single person that could even possibly tap into my power. Not even the great dictators and forces of evil of the past could even scratch the surface: not Hitler, not Nero, not anyone. But then there was Ken—only eight years old! He was the one, but his Crest of Kindness was his greatest fault. He was far too gentle with his slaves and his heart too soft. True, his soul was dark, but that consisted almost entirely of angst. It was as if I had inhabited another from that world, Yamato Ishida, or a girl from another world, Juri Katou. Yamato only doubted himself and Juri simply let her sorrow use her for evil purposes. Like those two, Ken was unable to understand the meaning of loss. He still weeps for his brother Osamu. You did not weep for your grandmother, am I correct?"_

"Some," Kouichi admitted, briefly remembering being summoned to his grandmother's deathbed four years ago, and being told that he had a younger (and in his and Kaiser's opinion, pathetic) twin. "She died while I was in the Digital World. Life and death were just something I learned to accept. Everyone is destined to die."

_"And that's one reason why I find you to be the perfect host," _the Kaiser answered. _"You do not attach yourself to material objects or persons, knowing that you'll only lose them in the end. I can see why Cherubimon selected you for the Spirits of Darkness. You truly _are_ the darkness. We complement each other rather well, wouldn't you say?"_

"I agree of course," Kouichi replied, lying through his teeth. He didn't entirely trust the being he shared a body with. He trusted the Kaiser no more than say, Monodramon would trust Millenniumon in the other world, where Ryo was. But every word of the Kaiser's counsel had been fruitful. In a way, he was somewhat relieved that the Kaiser had restricted part of his consciousness. Often, at night, before going to bed, Kouichi would wonder what would happen if the Kaiser decided to completely fuse with him. Would he still be the same? Or would he be the nameless soul Ken had been? Or the puppet Juri had been? Or the despaired consumption of darkness Yamato had been?

Kouichi laughed at his misgivings. "I am the Digimon Kaiser. I rule two worlds, not one. What fear have I of defeat? Why should I compare myself to those three weaklings?" He laughed even harder. "I don't even need to evolve to win. All of this is mine! Not Löwemon's or KaiserLeomon's, but the Kaiser's! I'm in control now."

-------  
"DigiCode Scan!" ordered Chakmon. The black ring of data entered his D-scanner and neutralized, leaving behind three very confused Fladramon.

"What happened?" asked one.

"What were we doing?" another questioned.

Chakmon devolved into a very-much-changed (and five-foot-two tall) Tomoki Himi. His brown hair was again highlighted with summer blond, and his sickly pale skin had a rich bronze tan. One look at him, and it was common to mistake him as a younger Takuya. His green eyes were less fearful, and now sparkling like emeralds. But even though he had grown older, he still retained an irresistible innocence.

"You were under the Kaiser's control, remember?" he asked in a voice that had deepened with maturity.

"We were?" the third asked. "I don't remember a thing."

"Maybe it's better that you don't," Tomoki reasoned. "But please, join us in our fight. We're trying to defeat the Kaiser so we can free the worlds."

"I'm in," the first decided.

"Same here," the second agreed. "It would be nice to keep our freedom."

"You know I'm with you," the third added.

"Then it's settled," Tomoki answered. "I'll take you to base."

Keeping an eye out for enemy troops, the foursome made their way to one of the many Resistance bases scattered throughout the Digital World. An African-American girl stood guard outside.

"Three Fladramon, Tomoki?" she observed. "Good work, Legendary Warrior of Ice."

The Fladramon stared in shock as Tomoki smiled modestly and replied, "It wasn't easy, Skye. If Takuya _onii-chan_ hadn't taught me how to pit ice against fire, I never would have made it past their vicious attacks." He was obviously exaggerating to make the Fladramon look good. He turned to them and continued. "You guys put up a great fight. I thought I was done for a few times."

Skye smiled at how much Tomoki praised the Fladramon even though he'd probably beaten them fairly easily, especially if he used his B-Spirit. He was what—thirteen?—and he was still the same as he'd been four years ago, minus the crying. Now he was one of the strongest fighters the Resistance had to offer, but he was still the innocent boy who'd been pulled into everything by accident.

Skye Parker wasn't new to the Resistance thing. She and her older brother Quince had been adopted by Resistance fighters when their parents were captured as slaves. At thirteen, Skye was an expert in weaponry, her aim rumored to even rival Sakiko's. And with her chocolate brown skin, jet-black hair, and dark brown eyes, she got the blood flowing of many guys her age. But it didn't matter because she was taken—and by Tomoki Himi, no less.

Tomoki walked further into base, greeting several of his friends along the way.

"Three Fladramon?" questioned an ROTC student named Lisa.

"That's even better than the Tailmon you defeated," commented a twenty-year-old named Ataru.

Tomoki smiled as he remembered that battle. A Tailmon had ambushed him when he didn't have his D-scanner with him. He fought her in hand-to-hand combat until Takuya had managed to arrive to scan the evil DigiCode. Ever since then, Tailmon had been a close friend and a powerful ally, even learning to evolve into Angewomon. Rumors flew around the troop that she was the Plotmon that was the incarnation of Ophanimon, but if she was, she wasn't talking.

"Tomoki," Tailmon called, "Kage and the others want you."

"Coming," he replied, letting Tailmon lead him to what the militia affectionately called the Inner Circle—the conference area of the base.

Inside the Inner Circle were Takuya and Junpei, as well as their girlfriends Tram-Anh Nguyen and Katrina Vostok. Tram-Anh was a Vietnamese-American fourteen-year-old from the depths of Washington, D.C. Along with being well trained in several forms of the martial arts (a black belt in karate and an expert in aikido, kung-fu, and tae kwon do), she was calm and collected like Kouji—a complete foil to Takuya, who remained hot-blooded and short-tempered. Some people said that Takuya had fallen in love with her silky jet-black hair and almond-shaped amber eyes, but it wasn't the truth. In fact, no one was quite sure what the real reason was that they could tolerate each other, but Katrina surmised that it was because Takuya's brother Shinya was good friends with Tram-Anh's cousin Cam. Tram-Anh never ran into a situation without thinking it through completely, which had earned her the position of tactical manager, second only to Kage.

Katrina had long curly brown hair and light brown eyes. Her mother, Tania Martinez, was a Cuban immigrant who'd flocked to Florida. Her father was of Russian descent, and was visiting Miami when he'd fallen in love with Tania. They were married a year later and had been on their second honeymoon in Puerto Rico when Katrina was born. She held a Russian name and Latina beauty. Her expertise was in survival tactics, so she was a prized member of the team.

Kage walked in, carrying his infamous computer. He nodded at his forces, observing that most of them were all there. His team had fallen in love with people from their own continent and those from other continents. There had been no thought for trying to maintain stretched relationships in the future. But, then again, there would be no future if they didn't win. The important thing was the here and now.

"We'll begin when Skye and Val get here," he announced.

Valerie LaSalle was the co-leader of the D.C./Fuji Resistance force, commanding alongside Kage. Valerie was twenty-nine, twelve years older than Kage, which aided his excuse for harboring no romantic interest in her. Well, not only that, but rumor said he liked a girl named Tori, who was with the Chiba/Beijing Resistance movement. Valerie had been with the Navy Seals after dropping out of the Air Force ("Not my style," she claimed. "The flying's good, but you're only able to shoot from a distance. You can't stop these guys head-on. Besides, if you kill someone, it would be better to see them face-to-face. More honorable, I think."). She was most at home with stealth operations and raids, so she and Takuya were always the ones leading the others undetected into an enemy encampment. Her life was full of rules and rigid order, which caused her to constantly lose her patience with many Resistance fighters.

"Sorry we're late!" Skye apologized, running in with Valerie. "I had to threaten—er, _convince _Quince to take over for me." Quince was her laid-back brother, older by a year.

"And I was waiting for her," Valerie explained. "We need a permanent guard so some of our best fighters don't have to grovel at their older brothers' feet."

"I was not groveling!"

"Val, this is the best we can do for now," Kage reasoned, interrupting Skye's exclamation. "We're only militia."

"I know, but I know we could have better. So long as we had some rules, these _warriors_ wouldn't be quite as liable to run off."

"Rules and regulations don't make a good warrior!" Takuya argued.

"And ancient Spirits don't make one either," Valerie replied.

"This is the best we have here," Tram-Anh reasoned. "I think we can both agree that experience makes a warrior great. Right, Takuya? Val?" They nodded, not happy, but accepting the compromise for the time being.

"Okay, if there are no more threats of war breaking out, let's get down to business," Kage decided. "While Tomoki was handling those Fladramon, Tram-Anh managed to intercept a message heading for the Mugendramon general further in the jungle." He held up a CD-ROM. "And this is what we found." He quickly ran the program in his computer. The picture of a high school student appeared, along with a long, intricately coded message. "From what Val and I could decipher, this kid—Masaki Nishigawa—was kidnapped right in front of the Kaiser."

"Bet that scared Kouichi," Takuya decided.

"The kidnapping is supposedly a Resistance plot to overthrow the Kaiser," Kage continued. "And our dear friend Kaiser is positive Kouji's behind it."

"Then Kouji hasn't been captured," Tomoki realized.

"But there's no guarantee that he's alive either," Junpei pointed out.

"Can I finish?" Kage questioned. "There's more to this story than you think. Shutumon was the one that grabbed this Masaki guy. And yes, this does prove that Izumi's okay." He saved the picture of Masaki in his Photoshop program. "Remember when we claimed the hospital? Dr. Yamamoto gave Kouji and Izumi false names without telling us. He didn't want us to recognize the nom de plumes."

"So you think that Masaki and Kouji might be one and the same," Katrina guessed.

Kage pasted an old APB photo of Kouji next to the one of Masaki. "I don't think that. I _know _it. Remember, Kouji cut his hair. What if he didn't have it grow out again? Just place gray contacts in his eyes and you have an eleven-year-old version of Masaki."

"Nice trick," Valerie admitted. "Faking your own kidnapping and blaming it on yourself. But how is he going to get himself out of this?"

And so she lit the fuse.

"Look, I know Kouji!" Takuya defended. "He's gotten himself out of more situations than you think! He spent five months rotting in the Kaiser's prisons, for God's sake! He'll think of something; he always does."

"Calm down," Valerie ordered in a reasonable voice. "I'm not criticizing your friend. From what you all tell me, he is nowhere near impulsive, and he's so rational it's impossible for him to be human or Digimon. All I'm saying is that he's gotten himself into a very tough situation. If he was in danger before, he may be in even deeper trouble now." Kage blinked. Was it just him, or were these personalities finally mixing?

"Kage, didn't you add evolution options into an artificial digivice?" Skye checked.

"Yes, I did," he answered, recovering from his prior surprise. "Tomoki's brother uses it for Gabumon."

"And if I'm right, Gabumon's Ultimate form is MetalGarurumon, who looks a lot like Garmmon," Skye remembered.

"Mm-hmm," Kage replied.

"Then that's…"

Quince Parker and one of the Fladramon ran into the Inner Circle. Both looked full of excitement and fear, ready for a fight.

"Mugendramon's forces are moving out," Quince informed. "This is the moment we've been waiting for!"

"All right, let's get to it," Kage decided.

"Anyone who can evolve, do it now!" Valerie ordered. "Move it, people!"

"B-Spirits, you three," Kage advised.

Everyone pulled out a D-scanner or some kind of weapon. The Chosen Children evolved into Vritramon, Bolgmon, and Blizzarmon. Tailmon became Angewomon, a Terriermon went to Galgomon, and a Piyomon evolved twice into Garudamon. Quickly, they hid in the shadows of the jungle, so as to avoid being spotted by the troops.

"Okay, now!" Kage ordered.

"Corona Blaster!"

"Double Thunder!"

"Avalanche Step!"

"Holy Arrow!"

"Shadow Wing!"

"Gatling Arm!"

Attacks, lasers, bullets, and whatever else the D.C. weapons fired went flying through the air. It was the loudest battle the three Legendary Warriors had ever fought. Humans and Digimon alike were shouting out long strings of curses in various languages. Other Digimon would be yelling out attacks.

"Forget the forces; get the general!" Valerie shouted to the Chosen while she fought off a MegaloGrowmon.

"Corona Blaster!"

"Double Thunder!"

Blizzarmon had his hands full with a MarineDevimon that just wouldn't give up.

"Angewomon, help them out over there," he requested. She nodded in agreement and flew to Mugendramon.

"Infinity Cannon!" he attacked, blasting at the two Hybrids.

"Holy Arrow!" Angewomon fired the glowing white arrow at Mugendramon's cannon, crippling it.

"Ah, so now it is the angel's turn," he observed. "It will take much more than a simple Holy Arrow to vanquish me." MarineDevimon suddenly went flying over his head, bringing his attention to Blizzarmon.

"Will this be enough?" he questioned, throwing an ax in the general's side. The metallic creature shouted in anguish as a sparkling ring of DigiCode appeared.

"He was a mercenary," Angewomon realized. Blizzarmon nodded in agreement and devolved. He held out his D-scanner and pressed a button on the side.

"DigiCode Scan!"

This was the longest chain of DigiCode any of the Chosen Children had ever scanned. It took a full five minutes to enter the digivice and another three minutes to exit.

"That took a while," Tomoki commented, somewhat out of breath.

"Some of the other troops are still fighting," Angewomon alerted. "We'd better help our friends out."

"Right," he agreed.

"Knuckle Fire!" a Fladramon attacked, nailing several enemies square in the chest.

"DigiCode Scan!" Quince ordered. His scan was kind of sloppy, leaving behind specks of data, but he was sure to clean up after himself.

Kage fired lasers from his newer gun, as Kouji still had his old one. No matter which weapon he used, his aim was always on target, landing a direct hit nine out of ten times (during the ninth time, he'd been sideswiped by the tenth, so he managed to only get one).

"DigiCode Scan!" His scan wasn't exactly flawless, but he did manage to absorb every trace of the data, no matter how shaky the scan had been.

"Three ahead!" Tomoki observed. Angewomon put her hands together, releasing a pink light.

"Heaven's Charm!"

The power rushed forward, eradicating the three Infermon attackers while Tomoki scanned the data.

"Seems like we're only running into more and more mercenaries," Valerie noticed.

"You're right," Kage agreed. "I wonder if that means the Kaiser's keeping back his power."

"Doesn't matter," Vritramon replied. "Keep it up!"

They kept up their fighting, never once stopping for breath. As long as there was something to fight for, they'd never stop. Despite the fact they all were entirely different, they were all one in their cause: freedom. And with that, no colors could ever not mix for the fight.

**Remember people that this fic isn't about Kouzumi. And yes, I did rip of Ken's line from "Genesis of Evil" for Kouichi. You'll see me using them a lot more often in coming chapters. Also, for some odd reason, I'm using stuff Master Asia from _G Gundam _would say for Kaiser's lines. This chapter is to let you know what happened to the others after "Mirai Part One." Also, keep this story in mind when you read "Version Up" and "Yuuki wo Tsubasa ni Shite." Tram-Anh comes from Tram-Anh Tran who played Tina Nguyen on _Ghostwriter._**


	10. Streets to the Summer

_"We are standing here once again_  
_And light is shining on this street corner."  
__Wallace—"Streets to the Summer"  
__(Translated by Riah-chan)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Seven: "Streets to the Summer"

Thanks to the stories from Izumi, the Kimura-Minamotos, and Kouji, the remainder of the legend of the Digimon Kaiser had been told. Izumi watched Kouji lie unconscious on the psychiatrist's couch and couldn't help but review that tale:

At some unknown point after Kouji's "death," the remaining four Chosen Children evolved with their H-Spirits. They knew they had evolved only because they could recall being in those forms as they headed to the Minamoto residence. Izumi had a vague memory of holding Kouji's body as she flew above the streets of Tokyo and then Yokohama, tracing the path of the Toyoko line. Through tear-blurred eyes, she could see people below, finishing their daily work until Agnimon, Chakmon, or Blitzmon pushed past them, or until someone looked up to see Fairymon carrying a lifeless body. Kouji wasn't dead, but it was impossible to believe he was alive.

The sun was setting, and a great darkness swept across the city, chasing the four Hybrids, as though it wanted to claim the fallen Child of Light once more. Not even the light was comforting, as the descending sun was a deep red—_Stained crimson by Kouji's blood, _Izumi thought. Drops of blood were still exiting the wound on his side, mingling with the others' tears and descending to the ground as a trail of their journey.

Eternity had seemed to pass by the time they arrived at the Minamotos' house. Whether the Chosen had knocked or simply let themselves in was uncertain, but somehow they entered the house and went upstairs. The adults were surprised and confused at the sight of the Digimon, not having been told this story, but seeing Kouji's body was enough to halt all questions. The dog could be heard whimpering, and Kouri crying, but for a while there seemed to be no sound, no light…just a feeling of despair, attempting to strangle them all.

Kouji's father, Kousei, opened the door to the Warrior of Light's bedroom. Solemnly, the quartet entered, laying their friend on the bed before finally devolving. All was silent. There was no crying, no mournful dirge, nothing that remotely spoke of a funeral. The Earth had been plunged into eternal silence.

"How did this happen?" Kousei asked. Somehow, Takuya was the first to recover his voice after his best friend's defeat.

"Get Ms. Kimura," he requested.

Satomi, still holding the baby (who was crying once again), rushed to the kitchen, calling for Tomoko Kimura. She was too stunned to explain the situation, but she managed to get the message across that it was urgent.

Tomoko wasted no time in arriving. She rang the doorbell to be greeted by her ex-husband's crestfallen face.

"Has anyone seen Kouichi?" she checked before walking in the door. "He hasn't come home yet."

"Tomoko," Kousei addressed, "there's something you should see."

The sight of her younger son lying on the bed was almost too much for her to bear. A sound escaped her lips—a combination of a cry and a gasp—and she ran to Kouji's side, pressing two fingers against his heated wrist, but she was unable to find a pulse. She made the loud cry-gasp again and turned to the Chosen Children.

"I never should have asked for his help," Izumi regretted.

"It's not your fault," Takuya reasoned. "I mean, we all could have done something different. I shouldn't have been so quick to agree with his plan… Maybe we could have been a little faster… But in the end, it was Kouji's choice, and Kouichi's actions." Kouichi's name appeared to leave a bad taste in his mouth.

"What do you mean?" Tomoko questioned.

"Kouichi lost it with me," Izumi began. "I went to Kouji for advice, and he decided we should all talk it out. But he and Kouichi got in a fight on the beach. We got there too late. By the time we finally did get there, Kouichi had strangled him with some kind of electrical whip." She broke into tears and left the room. Everybody else was also crying uncontrollably, but Takuya summoned forth all his courage and forced himself to finish the story:

"Kouichi didn't care about what he'd done. Izumi held Kouji, asking how Kouichi could do this, but Kouichi turned around and said, 'Take this as an example of what will happen if anyone dares to cross the Digimon Kaiser.'"

Izumi sat outside the front door, her knees pulled up as she continued crying. Though she only thought of him as her best friend, she was completely devastated by his apparent death, as it had been her boyfriend that had dealt the killing blow, and she had been the one that had asked for his help to begin with. She stayed there for two hours, as time no longer had any meaning, until Satomi sat next to her, holding a crying Kouri. Satomi's own eyes were bloodshot from the tears over her stepson.

"Your friends told us everything that happened: from April till now… It's a lot to take." She was silent for a while. "You loved him, didn't you? I could see it on your face. It wasn't romantic love or anything, but something else. You were very close friends after the Digital World fiasco. In one way or another, you came to love something about him."

"He shouldn't have died," Izumi stated. "He's survived everything the Digital World had to throw at him."

"But he was a Digimon then," Satomi reminded her. "It doesn't matter how strong he is—_was_; Kouji was still human, and human life is fragile." Izumi noted the pain in Satomi's voice as she said "was." Kouri's crying seemed far off. All Izumi could hear at that moment were the waves crashing on the beach, and all she could see were the last three breaths Kouji had taken. She could still feel his body in her arms. She drifted across a sea of memories, seeing many scenes from their time in the Digital World, back when the Earth hadn't been shattered. She wished everything could stay the way it had been. But slowly, Kouri's crying grew louder as Izumi was painstakingly pulled back to the present.

"Izumi, could you take her please?" Satomi requested.

"Sure," she agreed, taking the small baby. Just the feel of the tiny life in her arms was enough to comfort her grief. It was amazing how it was the simple things that could cause such sorrow and joy. She stood up and took Kouri inside, to Kouji's room. He still lay motionless on the bed, and Izumi fought her way across tears to see him. There was no visible reason for his death: The burns on his hands and neck didn't look too bad—more like a bad sunburn. The skin was peeling off, and his flesh was bright red. The slash and bruise on his side were clearly painful, but certainly not life threatening.

She sat down next to him on the bed, using one arm to hold Kouri and support her neck, and the other to lift one of Kouji's hands. His fingertips were beginning to automatically blister from the hot electricity. In a burst of sudden inspiration, Izumi got up and went over to his dresser, grabbing several pictures of the Chosen Children together.

"The better times," she commented sadly, placing them in his hand.

It suddenly dawned on her that Kouri hadn't cried once upon entering the room.

"She needed to say goodbye," Izumi realized, placing the squirming child on Kouji's chest. She looked as though she was trying to pull herself up to look at him. Izumi held her up in a sitting position so the baby could see her brother. Next, Izumi took Kouji's burned hand and placed Kouri's tiny hand in it. Kouri gripped one of her brother's fingers tightly, refusing to let him go, just as Izumi had refused to on the beach. Kouri yawned and Izumi laid her back down on Kouji's body. There the child slept, seemingly unaware of the tragic tale of her older brothers: one had been slain, and the other was the murderer. Izumi sat there on the bed, watching Kouri breathe. An hour passed, and she was still in there, frozen in time like Kouji. Her parents were outside, calling for her. She stood up, not ready to leave; not prepared to stay. Afraid to live; unwilling to die. Nothing made sense anymore.

She meant to reach down to pick up Kouri, but Izumi soon found herself kissing Kouji's lips. Tears streamed down her face as she picked up Kouri and whispered, "I'm so sorry." It was the only farewell she could give him. He had always been there for her. She loved that part about him. But she hated how his devotion to their friendship had ended. Finally, she left, handing the sleeping baby over to Satomi, and returning to her old life. No, it would never be her old life. It was her harsh future, a new life without the same shining light in the distance. Outside, a light snow began to fall, coating everything in whiteness, covering the blood. But to Izumi, it was as though the sky was falling.

Half an hour later, Tomoko was still there. She sat in the living room with her ex and Satomi, all three of them overwhelmed by it all.

"I can't believe Kouichi would do something like this," Tomoko denied. "What could possess him to murder Kouji?"

Kouri interrupted their thoughts with a loud cry. Something had clearly startled her out of her sleep. Satomi got off the couch and headed into her room, taking her daughter out of the basinet.

There is more than one way to take advantage of a person. A very common example is to assume that a person will always be there, that there will be a tomorrow. That is what we all do, everyday of our lives. Just listen to what we say and do. How many times have we parted with a person by saying, "See you later" or any other departure phrase similar to that? We only pretend that there will be a "later" because we don't want to admit to ourselves that "later" may never come, and we may never see each other again. That was also the assumption of all those close to Kouji, including his family. It had only been a few hours ago when Satomi asked him to calm Kouri. And now the task of easing the baby's cries was up to the survivors.

"Shh," Satomi soothed, gently rocking the baby. "Shh." By chance, she glanced out the window to see Kouichi, dressed in his new attire, heading toward the house. Seconds later, taking Kouri, Satomi joined her husband and Akiko outside the front door.

"Nice to see you've all come to greet me," Kouichi commented sarcastically.

"Don't you think you've caused this family enough heartache?" his father demanded. "I cannot believe you are my son."

"Believe it or don't. It makes no difference."

As the argument downstairs became more and more heated, Kouji opened his eyes. Surprised to see that he was in his bed at home and not facedown in the beach sand, he sat up quickly. Every part of his body screamed in resistance. His heart jumped, skipping several beats. He felt his breathing weaken even more, and he forced himself to breathe at an even rate. When he finally felt he could breath involuntarily, he looked at the photos in his right hand, wondering who had put them there. He placed them in the pocket of his jacket, finding that his hands were very sore. For a moment, he stared at his burned, blistered hands, spurring forth memories of the fight. He touched his neck with the back of his right index finger, tracing the burn there as well. Finally, he carefully and painfully forced himself out of bed. He found his digivice lying on his desk in place of his cell phone. Knowing this had something to do with Kouichi's attack on him, he pocketed it and walked to the door.

It was the realization that someone was walking down the stairs that silenced everyone. There was no arguing, no crying, no barking—silence once more. The injured Warrior of Light stepped out to an audience of shocked faces. He was barely able to walk and had no coordination to speak of. But he was alive.

The dog came over to Kouji immediately, allowing the boy to use him for support in order to walk over to the rest of the family.

"How did you survive?" Kouichi growled. Kouji provided no answer. "How did you survive?" Kouichi took his weighted whip and lashed at his brother. Kouji lifted his left arm in defense and felt the painful consequence. He winced a little bit and immediately grabbed his forearm, as though to immobilize it. But even though he had to be in extreme pain, he stared back at his brother in sheer defiance.

Furious, Kouichi snapped his fingers, summoning forth from the Digital World eight Digimon, all under his power: a Valkyrimon who held her sword against Kousei's throat, a Renamon who took Kouri from Satomi, a Rosemon who detained Satomi, a AeroV-dramon who kept Tomoko still, and a Palmon, Guilmon, and Agumon that restrained Kouji. The Palmon used her vine-like claws to keep Kouji's nearly useless legs from moving, and the Guilmon and Agumon held his arms, occasionally scratching him through his jacket with their long, sharp claws. Kouji had his D-scanner out and ready, but it fell to the floor just before he was grabbed. Somehow through all of this, they'd managed to forget the dog, who was now barking loudly for the release of his masters.

"Run, quick!" Kouji ordered in a voice weak from his near-death experience. "Find the others!" The dog obeyed reluctantly and headed off in the direction the other Chosen had left in.

"Renamon, restrain Kouji!" Kouichi shouted, handing her the dropped digivice. The tall Child returned Kouri to Satomi and grabbed Kouji's head in a lock: one arm around his neck, the other (holding his D-scanner) around his head. Kouichi began beating Kouji there—in front of everyone. The younger twin coughed up blood from the forceful beatings, and went limp after facing a full ten minutes of abuse. When his head fell forward, Renamon yanked him back by his hair.

"Four Child levels," Kouichi replied as if disappointed. "I thought you'd be able to fend off a Perfect at least, but it appears you're even weaker than I imagined. Agumon, Guilmon, torch the place!"

"Baby Flame!"

"Fire Ball!"

The house went up in flames, illuminating Kouji's face once more. He was straining to breathe and probably dying, but he was still resisting Kouichi. Angered beyond reasoning, the older twin lifted his whip and struck Kouji across the face, knocking him to the brink of unconsciousness.

"Tomorrow morning you can all search for whatever survives this fire," Kouichi declared.

At first, Kouji was positive he was hallucinating because it was too strange to be true: Kouichi created a gigantic hovering fortress from black DigiCode. This base was the same as the one used by Ken, but with a few modifications. This one had more cellblocks than its predecessor, as well as guard barracks, and a study for Kouichi to replace the control room Ken hid in. Few cells were for single prisoners; an entire family could fit in several of them. But Kouji knew the stronghold was real when the four Digimon pushed and pulled him inside until he reached Cell 24 on Cellblock 18. They literally threw him in, where the right side of his face was pressed against the cold stone floor. The interior was damp, and colder than any winter he'd ever faced. His entire body ached, making his shallow breaths even more painful. Unable to fight, he closed his eyes, wondering if he'd ever wake up…

The pounding in the back of his head was the first thing that brought Kouji out of his memories. The second was Izumi's voice:

"Kouji, are you okay?"

He opened his eyes, but at first he wasn't sure if he had. Temporary blindness had taken him, making it impossible for him to distinguish the room from the inside of his eyelids. Eventually his vision cleared, allowing him to focus on Izumi's face. She bent down and hugged him. He just managed to place his left arm around her. He had no sense of coordination. His only clue to his position was his sight—he was lying on something raised about a foot or two above the floor. He tried shifting his position, but he'd entirely lost the ability to move.

"Keep that ice pack on the back of your head," Dr. Matsumoto instructed. "Don't try to move too much."

"It's not like I can anyway," Kouji replied, his voice tired and cracked.

"I'd like to run a diagnostic on you one of these nights to see just how far the Kaiser's reach is," Dr. Matsumoto informed.

Kouji's eyes widened in terror as the color drained from his face. "He was in me. What did he make me do?" He forced himself to break the embrace with Izumi. She sat up and helped him move his left hand to a square-shaped piece of cotton that had been taped to his neck.

"He held you hostage," she explained.

"The switchblade," he remembered. "I didn't try anything else with it, did I?"

"No."

"He had me attack you. That's how we ended up against the wall…"

"Kouji, you're fine now," Izumi assured.

"How can you know? How can anyone know? If he got in that easily, what's going to stop him from getting in again?"

"The best thing for you to do right now is to go home and get some rest," Dr. Matsumoto advised.

He and Izumi helped Kouji to his feet, but the Legendary Warrior of Light was determined to walk on his own all the way back to the SUV. Stubborn as he was, Kouji wasn't foolish—he kept his head covered with the ice pack. His face still held the terror of the knowledge that even for a brief time, he'd been the monster. Izumi wished never to see that fear in him again.

* * *

Izumi's sleep that night was far from peaceful. Fortunately for her and Kouji, no one else was awake when they arrived home, so no questions had to be answered. Kouji had escorted her to her room, unable to hide the fear and shock of what had happened. In the end, it had taken Izumi an hour to finally close her eyes and fall asleep.

Small hands shook her awake.

"Kouri, let her sleep," Satomi could be heard saying.

"'Zumi?" Kouri asked, carefully shaking until the older girl opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry she woke you, Izumi," Satomi whispered.

"What happened?"

"Kouri had an accident. I've just gotten her cleaned and changed. Can you take her downstairs while I wash her futon, sheets, and everything?"

"Sure. What time is it anyway?"

"Just after three. Too early to wake up."

"Come on, Kouri. Let's go downstairs." She took the three-year-old's hand and guided her downstairs.

"'Zumi, I'm thirsty," Kouri informed.

"Okay, we'll go into the kitchen. But after you have a glass of water, you'll have to go to the bathroom. I don't want you having any more accidents."

Kouji was sitting at the table when they entered, and a glass of water had been set in front of one of the chairs. He'd removed the cotton bandage from his neck, revealing two long but non-threatening cuts.

"I just kind of knew you were up," he explained. "I think my thoughts and Kouri's are overlapping."

"You don't think Kouichi or the Kaiser can contact her?" Izumi questioned.

"No. Kouri's sense comes more from knowing me," Kouji explained.

"I don't know Kouichi at all," Kouri added, finishing almost word-for-word exactly what Kouji was about to say. She sounded incredibly grown-up at that point, so much that Izumi and Kouji stared at her in surprise. "Kouji, why does Kouichi want to hurt you? Is it something I did?"

"No," Izumi replied.

"Why would you think that?" Kouji asked.

"All the bad stuff happened when I was a baby."

"Kouri, listen," Izumi reasoned. "Nothing that happened is your fault."

"And it isn't Kouichi that's doing it," Kouji added. "It's the Kaiser. He's a different person, but at the same time he's Kouichi. It's kind of like when Izumi and I evolve. We're Digimon then, but we're still the same people you know." Kouri sniffed a little bit and nodded.

"Are your bad dreams going to stop?" She still sounded kind of like an adult, but it was more obvious that she was still a little girl, a baby, who needed protection from this harsh world.

"I don't know yet. But I won't let the Kaiser get me. There's a doctor who's going to try and help stop the Kaiser from giving me these bad dreams. If you want, you can come with me to see this doctor, and make sure I'll be okay." He looked at Izumi. "How about we visit the settlement on the mountain tomorrow?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "There are little boys and girls your age there, Kouri. Would you like to see them?"

She nodded. "Are they nice?"

"They should be," Kouji answered. "They all came from the Kaiser's base, like we did. I think that's also where Sakiko, Koemon, and Kotemon live."

"Yeah," Izumi remembered. "And they only come when something big happens like tonight, so it would be nice to see them again."

"They've known you since you were a baby," Kouji explained. "They got us out of the base."

Kouri nodded in understanding. She'd never known exactly why these people were so important to her brother and Izumi. "Kouji, 'Zumi, could you tell me a story from the Digital World. From before Kouji's hands got burned?"

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," Izumi decided. "But back to bed after this."

"Any requests?" Kouji checked.

"When Kouichi got his Spirits," she decided after a thought. "I like that one."

"Kouichi was very sorry for what he did as Duskmon, and he didn't know if we could forgive him," Izumi began.

"But Patamon told him he was important to the team, and that helped him change his mind," Kouji continued.

They continued that story for about an hour, until Kouri finally fell asleep. Kouji carried her back to the girls' dorm. He placed her on the floor (as her futon wasn't dry yet) and kissed Izumi goodnight.

"Sweet dreams," Izumi wished as he walked out the door. "And I mean it." He smiled a bit and left.

_-------  
_Kouri sang a sweet little child's songas she, Izumi, and Kouji made their way up the mountain path leading to the Mt. Fuji settlement.

"Who taught you that?" Kouji questioned.

"'Zumi."

"I learned it years ago," Izumi explained once Kouji looked at her. "I can't remember it all, but I know that's how part of the chorus goes: 'Let's open the doors to the summer because someone is definitely waiting there.'"

Kouji nodded in comprehension before walking past a mound of dirt encircled with white rocks and unlit blue candles.

"I've been wondering what that thing is forever," he commented. "No one's changed it for the past three years. What is it? Some kind of flowerbed or something?"

Izumi looked at him for a second, and then turned her attention to the dirt mound. In reality, it had been a mock grave from when they'd thought Kouji was dead.

The funeral had been more symbolic than anything as they'd thought Kouji's body had been incinerated in the fire that had consumed his home. Three strangers also stood there, remaining silent, almost as though they too had known the person they had been remembering that day. It had been a somber ceremony, prompting tears from every one of the Chosen. Seeing that everyone else was too choked up to speak, Kage stepped forward:

"I know that I've never met the person we are here to mourn today. I don't even know his name. But I do know that he left a deep impression on everyone who did know him, and even on those who didn't. Wherever you are, whoever you are, I hope you know that there are those here who loved you. They miss you, and they won't forget anything about you."

"Well?" Kouji prompted. Izumi averted her gaze from the grave to her boyfriend once more.

"I don't have a clue," she finally said. "Your guess is as good as mine." She took a glance down the mountain, seeing the town below. "I can't believe that we were here three years ago, and that town was Imperial territory. So much has changed. It's like a light has replaced the darkness." It was true: In her heart, Kouji had replaced Kouichi. She closed her eyes for a moment, forgetting the past and future, and losing herself in the beauty of the present. "Come on. We still have a little more to go."

The remainder of the hike was uneventful, well that is until they finally did reach the settlement, where Himi and Gabumon dashed past them at full speed.

"What's going on?" Kouji asked.

"Nothing," Himi explained. "Takamoto needed to talk to us."

"If you're looking for Sakiko, she's in the daycare center," Gabumon informed.

"Thanks!" Izumi called back.

The daycare center was teaming with kids five years old and younger. Everyone older than that was catching up on homework in the school zones of the settlement. Sakiko, Kotemon, and Koemon were in charge of babysitting this time around.

"Kouji, Izumi, Kouri," Koemon greeted. "I didn't know you were coming."

"Kouri needed a change in environment," Kouji explained simply.

Unlike her two older half-brothers, Kouri was far from antisocial. In fact, she didn't even seem to know the meaning of the word "shy." She walked directly up to a group of three-to-five-year-olds who appeared to be acting out episodes of _Sentai _and asked, "What are you playing?"

"Chosen Children," answered a five-year-old boy with dark greenish hair and amber eyes.

"Can I play?"

"Sure," he replied. "You be Hikari. I'm Hiroshi, and I'm playing Ken." He then pointed to a pink-haired three-year-old girl with scarlet eyes. "That's Yukiko. She's playing Iori." He then pointed to a redheaded five-year-old with bright green eyes. "Riku is that girl, and she's playing Miyako." Suddenly he called over to a four-year-old girl with purplish black hair and violet eyes. "Good news! You don't have to play Hikari! You can be Daisuke like you wanted!"

"_Hai_!" the girl cried in happiness.

"She's Achika," Hiroshi introduced. "She's playing Daisuke now." Next was a four-year-old boy with turquoise hair and mossy jade eyes. "That's Jeimi and he's playing Takeru." Finally there was a five-year-old boy with platinum blond hair and silver eyes. "And Kyo over there is playing the Kaiser. Who are you?"

"I'm Kouri Minamoto," she introduced. Izumi, Kouji, Kotemon, Sakiko, and Koemon watched intently, waiting for the negative or positive reactions that usually came with the surnames "Minamoto" or "Kimura." But there was none. Hiroshi just shrugged the name off and brought her over to the other children.

"Guys, this is Kouri and she's our Hikari!"

Kouji let out the breath he'd unconsciously been holding.

"That was too close," Kotemon decided.

"You said it," Koemon agreed.

"It's too bad that your name draws so much attention," Izumi commented.

"I'd turn it all around if I could," Kouji replied. "I'm just fighting the same war everyone else is. I'm sick of getting special treatment, be it good or bad. I'm just the same as everyone else."

"Maybe not 'just the same,'" Sakiko corrected. "There aren't that many people in the world with Spirits, not even mentioning the supposedly stolen Spirits of Light. Add that to the common knowledge that the Kaiser has the Spirits of Darkness, and everyone expects you to win."

"I hope it's only with the Resistance in Japan," Kouji hoped, watching the kids play. "I hate how my family is always threatened to have me fight."

"At least the kids don't seem to know," Izumi observed. "Even though they're in the middle of a war, they're playing like a bunch of normal kids."

"Not really," Sakiko explained. "Remember when Kage called you all together before that fire in the forest? He later told the rest of us what was on those papers in case we needed to know. We know the names of the other Chosen. And we told these kids when they wanted heroes to look up to. I mean, we've known Superman, God only knows how many heroes from _Gundam_, the many Rangers of _Sentai_, and whatever action film stars we ever saw. But these kids had no heroes, and you were all trying to keep from being known. We had to give them someone to look up to, without compromising your mission. Ever since then, they've been re-enacting the final battle with the original Kaiser." They all turned their attention to the kids, who were already beginning the battle.

"You think you can beat me?" Kyo questioned. "I'm the Kaiser! I rule you all!" His performance was so convincing that Kouji felt a chill in the room accompanying memories of his five months as a slave.

"You can't win!" Achika denied, holding what appeared to be a cell phone.

"Achika, does your mom know you have her cell?" Sakiko checked.

"_Hai_!" she answered. "The battery's dead."

"Okay."

"You can't win!" Achika recovered, triumphantly holding her mother's cell phone. "Spirit Evolution!" She paused, unsure of what to say.

"Takuya becomes Agnimon," Kouji informed from the sidelines. "He probably wouldn't mind if Daisuke borrowed that evolution."

"_Arigatou_!" Achika thanked. "Spirit Evolution! Agnimon!"

"Combining two legends into one," Izumi noticed.

"Just imagine what would happen if those other Chosen came here," Kouji commented. "It would be even more chaotic."

"I'm glad you did that," Sakiko commented. "They really can't understand that the Chosen in the other world had Digimon partners. To them, having a Digimon as a partner is nothing special: Koemon, Kotemon, and I are a team; Himi and Gabumon are partners… And then there's Hiroshi over there. He and the others don't understand that Ken and the Kaiser were…"

"The same person, only two different people at the same time," Kouji finished. "We were just explaining that to Kouri last night."

"We have to evolve too!" Yukiko realized.

"Nothing you can do can beat me!" Kyo declared.

"You're right, Iori," Hiroshi decided. "Daisuke can't do this on his own."

"Hikari, Takeru, are you ready?" Riku checked.

"Yeah, Miyako," Jeimi replied. "Let's do it!"

"Spirit Evolution!" the other five kids yelled.

"Fairymon!" Kouri cried, but the others stood there. "What's wrong?"

"We don't know the other Digimon," Yukiko admitted.

"Tomoki becomes Chakmon, so Yukiko can do that," Kouri decided. "Junpei goes to Blitzmon—I guess it's okay if Riku did that. Um…"

"What's the matter?" Riku asked. Kouri stole a quick glance at Kouji, who nodded with the message "It's okay."

"Kouji becomes Wolfmon, so Jeimi can use that, and Hiroshi can use Kouichi's—Löwemon," she finished. "'Zumi, what are the attacks?" While Izumi went over the attacks, Kotemon turned to Kouji.

"What was wrong with Kouri last night?" he checked.

"Her weird sixth sense again. She knew that Kouichi was contacting me last night…"

"Hold it!" Sakiko interrupted. "Kouichi was contacting you?"

"That's not what I'm talking about," Kouji rebounded. "Kouri thought that Kouichi's actions were her fault. Izumi and I had to explain that Kouichi and the Kaiser were different people, yet one and the same." He shoved his fist into a table. "I hate how torn apart everyone is."

"We hear about war all the time," Izumi reasoned. "But it's always the events that took place, never the people who were in it. This is what we all felt when we thought you were gone, Kouji. The worst casualties of war are always the survivors. There were days when we were jealous of you, thinking you were dead and able to escape the horrors we lived through. I hate saying it, but some people hated you to the extreme: cursing at you, blaming you for every little thing that went wrong, wishing you had died sooner… The four of us stood up for you every time, causing fights and total discord among the Fuji Resistance. But even we sometimes lost ourselves in it. We would either start letting ourselves be consumed by anger and sorrow, or we would just give into their words in an attempt to forget the terrible things that happened. There were days when it seemed like we were the only ones who cared about you—just us, Kage, Takamoto, and Miyagami. But it wasn't true. There were others, especially when…"

"When what?" Kouji questioned.

"Never mind," Izumi replied, trying her hardest not to reveal the funeral. "Let's just say that if Kage hadn't drawn a line in the sand and if Takamoto hadn't shot you, someone else would have. And the bullet wouldn't have hit your knee." Silence suddenly befell the five, alerting them to the game.

"Burning Salamander!" Achika cried.

"Endlich Meteor!" Hiroshi added.

"Lightning Blitz!" Riku attacked.

"Kachikachi Kochin!" Yukiko yelled.

"Licht Kugel!" Jeimi shouted.

"Brezza…" Kouri started, holding her hands out, but she paused. She soon found herself staring at Kyo. The boy, although acting, looked badly hurt from the play attacks.

"Kouri, what's wrong?" Riku asked, or was it Achika? Kouri wasn't sure. Her attention was solely on Kyo.

Somewhere in the depths of her memories lay impressions of events in her infancy. Images created from the stories Kouji had told her erupted in her mind, showering her with vivid details of the five months: Kouji's exhaustion as he came back to the cell every night, the despair he tried desperately to hide from them, the torture that always happened behind that cloak of shadows, and a song… A song that Kouji hadn't performed in a long time. Returning to her role of Hikari Yagami, Kouri walked up to Kyo, the Kaiser, her small hand outstretched.

"Kaiser, it's over," she stated, helping him get to his feet.

"Hikari, I don't get it," Hiroshi confessed.

"He and the Kaiser are two different people, but one person at the same time, like when the Chosen evolve. All we're doing is hurting him, not the Kaiser."

"Then how do we stop the Kaiser?" Jeimi questioned. Kouri looked at Kouji, who tossed her his D-scanner.

"Like this," Kouri demonstrated, pressing a button on the side that ignited a tiny flame from the top, ready to scan. She waved the scanning flame across Kyo's body. "DigiCode Scan!" She stood there for a moment before releasing the button. "The Kaiser is gone." The entire daycare burst into applause, causing her to beam with pride. She'd done it—she'd won the war.

_But is it really that simple? _Kouji wondered. His half-sister fought with kindness and friendship, using her love, knowledge, and hope to give herself courage. Her purity and sincerity allowed her to see that there was no need for fighting anymore. And she'd won be combining all those traits with the Light. Was that the way to win?

_-------  
_Kouri sang her songhappily as they made their way down the mountain paths. Izumi sang along with her while Kouji distractedly whistled the tune. His mind was still focused on the game.

_Is that the way to save Kouichi? _he wondered.

"Kouji?" Kouri asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Can we come back again?" she questioned.

"Of course," he assured.

"Maybe we could try tomorrow," Izumi suggested, but she was soon shushed by the sound of two people arguing:

"What do you mean you'll get that much? I'm the one that found this place!"

"Yeah, but who lugged all this around? It doesn't matter how much he's paying us—he needs to do his fair share."

"Eh, quit complaining."

"Who is it?" Kouri asked, joining her brother and Izumi, who were leaning over the edge of the mountain to see who their intruders were.

"You know them?" Izumi checked.

"Yeah," Kouji replied. "The first one to complain was Shiro Arakawa. The other is Katsuhito Suzuki."

"I take it they're not friends of yours?" Izumi guessed.

"Idiots."

"You think they're trouble?"

"I _know _they are. Spirit Evolution! Wolfmon!" He jumped off the ledge, catching the two students by surprise.

"Stay here, Kouri," Izumi warned. "Spirit Evolution! Fairymon!" She flew down, cutting off the escape route.

Meanwhile, a large hand clamped over Kouri's mouth and pulled the small girl away from sight.

"Both Wolfmon and Fairymon!" Katsuhito recognized.

"The Kaiser doesn't want Fairymon," Shiro reminded. "The reward is for Wolfmon—dead or alive."

"So, you're working for the Kaiser," Fairymon observed.

"Not really," Katsuhito answered.

"We're just collecting the bounty," Shiro answered. He suddenly sprung a net on Wolfmon, releasing an electromagnetic impulse that temporarily revealed his human form. "Well what do you know? Look who that Kouji guy turned out to be."

"Look who turned his back on a battle," Wolfmon replied. Shiro turned to see Katsuhito knocked unconscious by a low-strength Tornado Gamba. But he in turn made the same fatal error by leaving his back turned to Wolfmon, who quickly cut through the net and used a martial arts maneuver to subdue the overly cocky Shiro.

"They're all yours," Wolfmon informed, breathing heavily from the net experience.

"Thank you," Fairymon replied. "DigiCode Scan!"

Two bands of the dark data entered her D-scanner and neutralized. She then approached Wolfmon, who was still in pain.

"Are you okay?" she checked.

"Yeah," he answered. "The magnetism in that net messed with my data a little bit." He took a deep breath and seemed to recover more quickly. "Let's get back to Kouri."

They made their way back up to Kouri, only to find a terrifying sight. A young Imperial soldier held her tightly with a gun pressed against her left temple. And the soldier was the track runner Kouji had replaced the day before!

"Kouji Minamoto, I presume," the soldier observed with a mock politeness that made Wolfmon's blood run cold. "And she must be Izumi Orimoto."

"What do you want?" Wolfmon demanded, any strength in his voice overshadowed by fear.

"For you to end your crusade against our empire," the soldier answered. "Now devolve! Both of you!"

Without a second thought, the two returned to their human forms, arousing an evil smirk from the soldier.

"So that's who you are," he realized. "How ironic: Masaki Nishigawa takes my run, and I take his sister." Kouji stared in shock. "How did I know? The Kaiser always informs his Guard of his family—and that includes you."

"Then kill me," Kouji said. Izumi and Kouri stared at him in horror. "You know as well as I do that I'm the one he really wants. He has my corpse lying on the floor of his base, you get a promotion or something."

"You have a point," the soldier agreed. "Come over here, and I'll let her go."

"No," Kouji argued.

"You're in no position to disagree."

"I know that. And I'm not disagreeing. But she and I should walk over at the same time. That way, neither of us has a chance to double cross the other."

"Kouji, you do have your gun or some kind of weapon?" Izumi checked pleadingly.

"No," he replied. "I'm afraid this time I don't have an idea to get out of this." He kissed her goodbye and began walking over. On the other side, the soldier roughly shoved Kouri, causing her to fall. She got up and silently began walking.

Halfway through, they passed, but Kouri turned around and grabbed her brother by the leg. The soldier pulled out his gun, but one glare from Kouji got him to put it away.

"Don't, Kouji!" Kouri begged. "I don't want you to die!"

"I don't want to die, but I don't want you to either, okay?" he reasoned. He hugged her and resumed walking.

Finally, they each reached the other side. Kouji turned, the gun placed against his left temple. The gun barrel was cold against his head, but it was no match to the cold fear that had gripped him upon seeing his sister's capture.

"You can both go now," the soldier informed. "I have what I want." Kouri tried to break free, but Izumi tightly held her shoulders.

"Go," Kouji instructed. Izumi had watched him die once; he didn't want her to suffer that same pain again. Once they were far out of sight, he turned his head to the right as much as possible. "No one's controlling you, are they? You're just wearing gray contacts like I did."

"Shut up," the soldier—or rather, mercenary—ordered. "Be thankful that you won't have to face your brother alive. I'm giving you the privilege of dying before he gets a hold of you."

"And I'm sure the money is no reason for your kindness," Kouji commented sarcastically.

"So those two idiots told you," the soldier surmised.

"You hired them to track me down," Kouji observed, "promising them a share of the profit. Am I right?"

"Right on target," the soldier answered. "But it won't matter much longer." Kouji closed his eyes and waited calmly for the inevitable.

Izumi and Kouri began making their way down the mountain when they heard the loud explosion of a gunshot. Kouri tore away from Izumi and began running back toward the origin of the shot. Izumi tearfully followed her, both girls afraid of what they would find.

Kouji fell forward, trapped by the soldier's dead body. He pulled himself free and stood up to see Sakiko holding a smoking gun.

"That's two you owe me now," she declared. "I can't keep shooting all the people who want to kill you."

"There are two people down there," he informed, his voice shaky from the shock of what had just happened. "Their DigiCode's been scanned."

"All right," Sakiko replied. "I'll call for someone to help pick them up." Kouji nodded and began walking down the path, where Izumi and Kouri ran up to him and hugged him tightly.

"The gunshot…" Izumi began.

"Sakiko. She managed to shoot the guy before he could do the same to me."

Kouri couldn't say anything. All she could do was cry.

* * *

That night, Kouji reviewed the entire fiasco in his mind. His subconscious was tainted with nightmares of what could have gone wrong. But the most disturbing possibility was the soldier shooting Kouri when she'd grabbed Kouji's leg. Upon seeing that vision, he quickly opened his eyes and sharply took in a breath. The dog was standing over him, whimpering softly.

_Can everyone in this house sense when something's wrong with me? _Kouji wondered, getting up carefully. He walked across the hall to the girls' dorm, following a silent call. Inside, Kouri was crying after suffering from a similar dream. Izumi was sitting next to her, trying to comfort her.

"Get ready," he whispered to Izumi. "I'm going to take that test. And I think I need both of you there."

Izumi kissed him quickly. "See you downstairs."

"Come on," he coaxed, taking Kouri's hand. They sat down at the foot of the stairs, Kouri still sniffing from her tears.

"Kouji, you think we can save Kouichi like in the game?"

"Huh?"

"The way I saved Kyo. Can we save Kouichi the same way?"

"I wish I knew. But we're going to try all we can to get him back."

_Hai: yes_

_Arigatou: thank you_

**I know that Valkyrimon is the next evolution of Sylphimon (whose gender is probably male), but in Norse mythology, Valkyries are women. Oh, and in case you're wondering, _Sentai _is the Japanese show that evolved into _Power Rangers _in America. The line about the sky falling came from _Andromeda,_ where Tyr got dumped, and began walking away from his old girlfriend while meteors continued to hit the planet's surface. They'd been falling the whole time, but it was only when he was crushed that he noticed it, so he said, "The sky is falling." Kouri's sixth sense is out of _A Wrinkle in Time._ But also, you could compare her to Charles in _Arm of the Starfish, _who only cries when something terrible is about to happen. But for the most part, she is based on Charles Wallace in a way. Shiro and Katsuhito are based off of Kazu and Kenta from _Tamers_, or Toji and Kensuke from _Evangelion_ if you think about it. And the soldier was based on P.K.'s old nemesis in _The Power of One_. The idea of the net came from this simple equation: magnets mess with data. So I figured electromagnetic pulses could cause a "D-Reaper" effect on Digimon in the Real World. Also, Riku is not from _Kingdom Hearts, _just to let you know. She's actually named for a character in _D.N. Angel._**


	11. Reach For You

_"It seems like the whole world is turning its back on you  
__That must be what you are feeling."  
__Daisuke Motomiya—"Reach For You"  
__(Translated by Riah-chan)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Eight: "Reach For You"

Kouji felt very uncomfortable as he stood in the cold lab, electrodes taped to not only his head, but his chest too. "I thought you were only measuring my brainwaves."

"I need to record your heart and breathing rate as well," Dr. Matsumoto informed. "During night terrors, a victim's heartbeat and breathing rate accelerate beyond normal. Because your brother is contacting you, your vitals could be affected." He handed Kouji a small red pill.

"What's this?"

"It's a mild sedative. It doesn't last for very long, but it acts quickly so you don't have to wait so long to fall asleep."

Kouji nodded. Having gotten used to taking pills without water, he swallowed it easily, receiving a rather stern look from the doctor. If there wasn't so much of an emergency on their hands already, he would have been lectured on how it was better to take the water as well.

"Don't let the Kaiser take hold of you again," Izumi begged.

"I won't," he promised, lying down on the bed. "And Kouri, I won't let him try anything against me. But I don't want you to open any links into my mind. Kouichi might try to pass through."

"Okay," she agreed, a sad tone in her voice.

"Izumi, Kouri," Dr. Matsumoto addressed, "it's time to move into the other lab. If anything goes wrong, which it shouldn't, I'll let you back in here."

The door closed, locking Kouji in a dark world of isolation. The events of the past four years swam through his mind as the medicine began to take effect. He relived the discoveries of his Spirits, the great battles and adventures they'd had while trying to restore the Digital World, the various friends and enemies they'd made along the way, the fight on the beach in January, the five months of torture and despair as a slave, the several hundred battles throughout the duration of the war, the play fight in the daycare, and the events on the mountain. Briefly, he wondered if everything had been laid out for him by Destiny, and if so, did he ever have a normal life? But those thoughts soon faded into perpetual darkness as his consciousness slowly slipped away.

Inside the lab, Kouri and Izumi watched the readings anxiously.

"Nothing should be happening yet," Dr. Matsumoto informed. "He isn't deep enough into REM."

"What will we have to look for?" Izumi questioned.

"It's hard to tell exactly," Dr. Matsumoto replied. "Just keep an eye out for any abnormalities."

Nearly half an hour later, Kouri spoke up.

"I think something's wrong." She pointed to a reading on the brainwave monitor. The doctor walked over and rubbed his chin.

"That's unusual," he commented.

"What is?" Izumi asked.

"There are two different brainwave patterns. See?" He pointed out two different sets of crests and troughs: one blue, the other yellow. "Kouji's is the blue one. This yellow one is interfering with his normal train of thought."

"They look like reflections," Izumi pointed out. Her own words suddenly shocked her. "No, it's…"

"Kouichi," Kouri whispered.

Kouji found himself sitting beneath the three moons of the Digital World. Suddenly, he felt an unusual change take place within him. He stood up, now barely twelve years old. He wore his old torn clothes, which had long ago been burned, and his hair was now long and tied back. Suspicious of the sudden changes, he looked up at the triplet moons. The primary-colored lunar beams vanished as the orbs that released them were eclipsed with an unidentifiable shadow, eventually creating a stone tunnel. A heavy mist set in, floating close to his ankles.

Rubber soles tapped against stone as a pair of black-striped brown Adidas sneakers soon appeared within the haze, followed by two legs, and eventually an entire body. Kouji stared patiently at the Digimon Kaiser until he had completely shown himself.

"Kind of impressive, Kouichi," Kouji commented as his brother entered his field of vision. "You control my appearance by only what you know—that one of the last times you could identify me as Kouji Minamoto, this is how I looked."

"And I see your resources haven't failed you either," Kouichi commented, removing Ken's goggles. "It seems you've learned of the first Kaiser."

"So what do you want anyway?" Kouji asked. "Aside from the obvious: to kill me."

Kouichi flashed his evil smirk again and lashed his whip around his neck once again. Kouji gasped for breath and began trying to pull it away, but to no avail.

On the other side, Dr. Matsumoto noticed a spike of anger in the yellow brainwave and a rise in Kouji's heart rate, but a stop in his breathing.

"The other entity is trying to kill him!" he informed.

"Kouichi's doing what?" Izumi responded in shock.

"At the rate Kouichi is going, he will succeed!" the doctor continued.

Kouichi turned the ring on the handle, releasing a surge of electricity. Kouji fell to his knees in pain, barely able to hold onto the leather any longer.

"The world is within my grasp," Kouichi stated, increasing the electrical output. "All of your pathetic attempts to stop me have failed miserably, yet you still prove to be a thorn in my side. These worlds and everything in them belong to me, and I'm not going to let you stand in my way."

Izumi and Kouri wasted no time in getting to Kouji. Izumi held his hand and began coaxing him to breathe, showing that she was there. Kouri knew she had to help him too, but there was nothing she could do to help. She wasn't a Chosen Child; she had no special powers. She was just an ordinary little girl, nothing special about her. All of her short life, she sat in the sidelines, in the shadows, while everyone else risked their lives. She had no way of helping them. There was nothing she could do…

No, that wasn't right. There _was_ something that she could do.

In the end, she did the one thing she knew to:

She broke her promise.

Without much difficulty, she allowed Kouji's emotions, thoughts, and memories spill over into her own, while using his mental barrier to block Kouichi's mind. Many of the memories were too intense for her or were things she couldn't comprehend, but she eventually found something that made sense: the memory of a song she'd heard long ago that impressed itself into her. In a clear, unwavering voice, she sang part of it.

The song reached Kouji deep within his subconscious. The whip disintegrated from around his neck. He opened his eyes and drew in a breath. Nothing hurt anymore. All the pain was a thing of the past.

"Our sister," Kouichi realized. A terrifying smile crept onto his face. "Perhaps _she _can serve a better purpose than _you_ ever could." In rage, Kouji lunged at him, preventing the older brother from shattering Kouri's mental shield.

"How can you hate her?" Kouji demanded. "Someone you don't even know?"

"Don't know?" Kouichi laughed, shoving him into a wall. "How's this? Kouri Minamoto, age three, date of birth: December 23, 2002 in Yokohama, Japan."

"Those are just facts that anyone could find out," Kouji argued. "You don't know her, or Izumi, or me. In fact, I doubt you even know who you are." Kouichi growled in fury. "Can't take the truth, can you?" Suddenly, Kouichi ran at him, but a bright white light stood in his way.

"Kouri?" Izumi checked, observing the intense concentration on the little girl's face. She placed her hands on Kouri's shoulders and immediately felt the intensity of the Spirits of Light. Though she wasn't particularly sensitive to that kind of thing, she knew what that white-hot light was instinctively. Frantically, she shook Kouri awake, tearing her out of Kouji's power. "What were you doing?"

"Kouji was in trouble," she protested. "Kouichi was going to…"

"You were in even more trouble," Izumi reasoned. "You shouldn't play with his power like that. It's too much for you."

"I know," she answered. "But I want to help Kouji."

"So do I," Izumi admitted. "But this is one of those fights that we can't help him with. The only thing we can do is be here."

The loss of the light signaled Kouji that Izumi had managed to stop Kouri from interfering. He and Kouichi stared at each other for a moment, daring the other twin to make the next move. It was a stalemate.

"In case you were wondering, I do know who I am," Kouichi stated, the fog closing in on him. "I am Kouichi Kimura, Digimon Kaiser, and your executioner." Upon seeing that Kouichi had indeed vanished, Kouji forced himself to wake.

Kouri and Izumi were standing beside him when he opened his eyes and slowly sat up.

"Is it over?" Kouri checked.

"I think so," he replied.

"Good news," Dr. Matsumoto informed, walking in. "Only one brainwave pattern this time. And it's Kouji's."

A feeling of relief swept over them, one they hadn't felt in a long time. There was no trace of Kouichi's thoughts or anger within Kouji's psyche. The world was in its usual chaotic state, but for that one moment in time there was something to be happy about.

Kouji stood up and removed the electrodes from his forehead and chest before picking up his T-shirt and putting it back on. He, Izumi, and Kouri then thanked the doctor and left for home.

It was four in the morning when they arrived home, yet everyone was awake and waiting for them. The exhausted expressions the three held on their faces yielded all questions until a later time that morning, after they'd slept. Not one of the three was in the mood to venture up the stairs to bed, so each chose a spot in the living room: Kouri on a chair, Izumi on the couch, and Kouji on the floor.

_I'm not sure what's going on, _Takamoto thought as he watched his friends sleep, _but I think this has something to do with what that guy warned me about. Himi and I'll have to work quickly…_

* * *

The three woke up at ten o'clock, much more refreshed than the previous morning. After showering and eating breakfast, they explained the problems of the past few nights.

"Kouji, why didn't you say something?" both Satomi and Tomoko asked in unison.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "But I wasn't sure of anything yet."

"Are you positive it's all over?" his father checked. Kouji nodded.

There was a knock at the door. Satomi was about to get up, but Takamoto interrupted.

"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Minamoto," he assured. "It's probably for me anyway." He made his way to the door and opened it to Sakiko. "You have the paint?"

"A 'hello' would have been nice," she muttered. "Yes, I have it." She handed over several bottles of white and light blue paint. "The school zones don't have gold, but I can get some gold hair dye from the drugstore."

"The wheels?" he checked.

"I'll get them from one of the shopping carts," she replied. "Gotta go!"

"What was that all about?" Kouji questioned once Takamoto returned to the kitchen.

"You're not the only one that can have secrets." He received a rather cynical look from everyone else. "I'll tell you all later," he promised.

Sakiko checked down the hair care aisle of the pharmacy, searching through the more exotic hair colors.

"Green, pink, orange, blue… What happened to the metallic colors?" she exclaimed. "It's obvious this town has heard of Goths and punks, so why don't they have any metallic sprays?"

"Can I help you?" checked a voice. It was the same elderly pharmacist from three years ago.

"_Ojii-san_!" Sakiko recognized, hugging the man she'd "adopted" as a grandfather.

"Sakiko, what is it that you need?" he asked.

"Gold paint or hair spray, and the wheels from one of your shopping carts."

"Well, I have the wheels waiting for you, but I don't know of any gold paint." He pushed his glasses up his nose in a gesture of concentration. "What do you need it for?"

"Something about blades. Himi and Takamoto need to paint some blades gold—why I don't know."

"Did they say what kind of blades?"

"No, but I'm guessing for a sword or some kind of weapon."

"I think I might have some brass finisher left over from before the war started. Stores in this area kept a lot of home-finishing merchandise so the townspeople wouldn't have to make the long trip to a hardware store. Do you think that would work?"

"I guess so, and if it doesn't, Himi can go and get whatever it is he needs." She followed her grandfather-figure down the "Miscellaneous" aisle and reached up to get a bottle of brass finisher. "How much do I owe you?"

"No need to pay for it, Sakiko. You know that Resistance services are free."

"Thank you, _Ojii-san_."

Sakiko handed Himi the brass finisher and wheels, surprised to see six extra people there with him and Takamoto.

"Art students from the school," Takamoto explained. "I figured we'd need a lot of help painting. Meet Hiwa, Romi, Keiko, Zyun, Teran, and Nairusu." Hiwa had blond hair kept back in two French braids on either side of her head, and hazel eyes. Romi's black hair was tied back in a half-bun, with her hair trailing out of it. Her turquoise eyes sparkled like diamonds in the sun. Keiko had brown eyes and light brown hair in a small ponytail on top of her head. Zyun had spiky black hair that he'd sprayed silver dye onto, creating the image of a rock star, and matching his (naturally) black eyes flawlessly. Teran, like Keiko, had a more modest appearance with dirty blond hair and dark brown eyes. But whatever Teran lacked in individuality, Nairusu made up for. He had his hair dyed bright orange and sticking up in every which way. Like Romi, he had bright blue eyes, but his matched the cerulean hues of the sea.

"Uh, painting what?" Sakiko questioned.

"Not what," Zyun corrected. "Who." He pointed to MetalGarurumon, who was already partially colored with white and blue paint.

"Romi, think you can start painting the blades?" Himi asked.

"All right," she answered, taking the brass finisher.

"I think we'll need to paint the metal on these wheels," Nairusu theorized.

"How are we going to get them on him?" Hiwa questioned.

"Guess we'll have to glue them," Teran realized.

Sakiko was confused, as she should have been. But rather than ask what on Earth they were possibly painting MetalGarurumon for, she declared, "Who's going to feed all these people?"

"Aw man," Keiko commented. "I never thought about that. You guys?" She was met with several answers of "no."

"I guess you'll have to eat at my place," Takamoto reasoned. "Let's see, it's Kouji's night to cook, so I'll have to let him know there are going to be a lot more people at the table than usual."

"Isn't it strange calling Kouji by two names?" Sakiko asked.

"A little," Romi admitted. "You see, we all live double lives of our own too. And without any type of help—even if it's just gray contact lenses—we'd never be able to keep up this charade. But Kouji and Izumi have been doing it for years. In a way, yes, it is weird calling them Masaki and Amiko while we're in school, but in all essence, it doesn't matter. They're still the same people. It just depends on what you want to call them."

"Hmm," Sakiko replied in comprehension, remembering the conversation about the Kaiser. "Then it's really no different from when a Digimon evolves."

"There's a difference all right," Zyun protested. "In an evolution, the whole body changes, and you're left with someone entirely new. Sure, some personality traits may be shared, but can you imagine an Ultimate level Digimon shaking in fear like a Baby I or II?"

"No, I guess not." She watched them all paint MetalGarurumon. Finally, she asked what she wanted to know: "So what's the point of this?"

"We'll explain later," Takamoto promised again.

"Is this why you two had to run off so fast, leaving Kotemon, Koemon, and me with all the kids in the daycare?" she questioned Himi and MetalGarurumon. MetalGarurumon nodded carefully so as not to obstruct the art job. "Why isn't he talking?"

"He's conserving his energy," Himi explained. "He has to stay in this form all night."

"Why?"

"We'll tell you later," Nairusu answered. "We don't want to repeat the explanation."

"But Himi and Takamoto could tell it to all of you," she pointed out. Teran groaned and Zyun put his hand over his face in frustration.

"If I tell you, you can't tell anyone, got it?" Teran checked.

"I can be trusted," she affirmed. Convinced, Teran leaned over to her and whispered in her ear.

"What? You've got to be kidding to trust a complete stranger like that! Why on Earth would you want to follow a plan like that?"

"You know as well as I do that your town isn't going to remain isolated for long," Hiwa reasoned.

"Some kids from the Resistance began dropping out of school, heading to the Digital World or to a free land," Keiko explained.

"The Kaiser's appearance at our school was no coincidence," Zyun added. "He's been looking for this settlement."

"Kouji…" Sakiko remembered. "He's looking for Kouji! That's why he's been trying to contact him!"

"Mm-hmm," Takamoto answered. "He might also be after my informant. And we all know what will happen if the Kaiser does find them."

"That's why we're doing this," Romi added. "If all else fails, we have an escape plan ready."

"I just hope we don't need it," Nairusu commented.

* * *

"Well, I have to admit, your cooking really has improved," Takamoto complimented after their dinner of chicken curry, rice, and vegetables was finished. "It now takes me a whole hour to get indigestion."

"Shut up," Keiko ordered, hitting him.

"He knows I'm only kidding," Takamoto replied. "I mean, with the training of both Yutaka and Tomoki Himi, there's no way for anyone to be a lousy cook." Tomoki had taught his brother several cooking tricks, and he in turn taught Kouji.

Kouji silently removed the soiled dishes from the table and placed them in the sink, checking a schedule for whose job it was to wash them.

"Dad, you've got to do the dishes tonight," he informed. It was the most he'd said the whole night. It was obvious to everyone in the house that Kouji's silence was a reaction from the influx of people. But the look on his face was one that implied that he didn't want to cause anyone to feel pity for him due to his dislike of crowded areas.

"Think we should finally let them know what we've been planning?" Himi checked.

"Yeah," Takamoto agreed. "Everybody outside!"

They all exited to the front yard, where the non-conspirators stared at MetalGarurumon with confused expressions.

"Why is he painted like Garmmon?" Kouri asked, voicing what was on everyone's minds.

"You still have the clothes you wore Friday, right?" Takamoto checked.

"Yeah," Kouji replied. "Why?"

"This is the way we're getting you out of this whole kidnapping mess," Romi began. "Through semi-flight, MetalGarurumon is going to create the illusion of those wheels accelerating his speed."

"Wait a second," Izumi interrupted. "What are you talking about?"

The six art students looked at each other, trying to think of how to explain it.

"Let's just put it this way," Zyun described. "The Kaiser never knew he was a triplet."

* * *

"Everything all set?" Izumi checked.

"Mm-hmm," Hiwa answered. "Romi and I'll keep it so the Kaiser doesn't see you. Keiko and Teran are standing by with Shiro."

"I hope they can tolerate that _baka_," Romi prayed.

"Himi has his part ready in the sewer, where you and Kouji will join him if something goes wrong," Hiwa continued.

"What?" Izumi asked, half-horrified.

"It's not really a sewer," Romi explained. "It's just a concrete manhole leading to a train station where a Trailmon will be waiting."

"How do you know all this?" Izumi questioned.

"See that guy over there?" Hiwa pointed to a young man wearing their school uniform. He looked just like all the other students; there was very little special about him. The only thing different about him was that he was wearing a white fisherman-style hat. Several times, he'd be asked to remove it, but he never did. "He's Takamoto's informant."

"Takamoto came up with the plan, but only when that guy told him of something that was supposed to happen," Romi added. "He's making sure everything goes flawlessly."

"Zyun and Nairusu are set with Katsuhito," Hiwa observed. "That guy's signaling the others—that's the cue!"

MetalGarurumon zoomed toward them, carrying a large sack similar to the kind the slaves used to store recovered weapons and mines. Teachers and administrators held out guns to him while the principal quickly dialed the police, who contacted Kouichi immediately.

The young dictator arrived via Airdramon, guarded by several of his finest soldiers and mercenaries.

"So, Kouji, it appears you finally came to your senses and surrendered to me," he observed. MetalGarurumon simply dropped the sack and sped off.

"Should we follow?" a lieutenant checked.

"No," Kouichi replied. "He wanted us to see this."

"Everyone step back!" a teacher warned.

A large circle of students and administrators formed around the abandoned cargo. Hiwa and Romi kept Izumi in between them to avoid her being recognized. The mysterious student in the white hat stepped up closer to her.

"Be ready," he whispered. "The Kaiser's going to try something." She glanced up at him, confused as to what he meant. He appeared the same age she and Kouji were, but something about him made him seem older. He didn't hide his eyes behind dark contacts, seeming to prefer the exposure of his indigo eyes—just a few shades lighter than Kouji's. Also, there was something behind those eyes—a regret perhaps as deep as the one that Kouji harbored: the knowledge that he was unable to save his brother. But what on Earth could this young man have done or not have been able to do that caused a regret like that?

The soldiers cautiously opened the sack to reveal Kouji/Masaki, bound by ropes on his wrists and ankles, gagged with a strip of duct tape, and blindfolded with a red scarf. He was rapidly untied and had the tape ripped off his mouth.

"What do you want now?" he demanded, painting the portrait of someone who didn't know he was set free.

"Masaki, calm down," his coach urged. "You're out of the enemy's hands now."

Kouji pulled down the blindfold and glanced around. Out of the red material fell a metal kanji-like symbol—the symbol of the Spirit of Light. Kouichi reached down and picked it up.

"Do you have any idea who grabbed you?" he questioned, skipping the formalities of asking if the young man was all right.

Kouji brought his hand to his forehead as though he was trying to concentrate. "That bird woman brought me a few kilometers across town, where she met up with some guy with long hair. He tied me up and blindfolded me." He then looked up at Kouichi. "The strangest part was he looked exactly like you."

Kouichi crushed the symbol in rage, throwing the now bent piece of metal onto the ground. "Find Garmmon! And don't return until you do!"

"Into class, everyone," a teacher ushered as the Imperial Guard spread across the campus.

The mysterious student watched the soldiers in fascination.

"What's so interesting?" Kouichi demanded.

"Nothing much," the student answered. "I was just marveling at how efficiently your soldiers work—in perfect formation, far superior than any army either the Digital or Real World could deploy. In fact, I've only seen soldiers like that once before…"

"What are you going on about?" Kouichi interrupted.

"It's nothing really. I was just interested in how they respond to your orders without question. They must be well-trained."

"You sound familiar," Kouichi observed.

"I'm new here," the student protested. "There's no way you could recognize me from here." And he walked toward the other students, leaving Kouichi to wonder where he'd heard that student's voice before.

The student walked over to Izumi and Kouji, discreetly keeping them out of Kouichi's visual range.

"Be careful," he whispered. "Kouichi has a sniper waiting on the roof for any sign of you." The two stared at him in shock. "What?"

"How did you know who he is?" Kouji asked. "Or who we are for that matter?"

"I can't tell either of you yet," he replied. "Just be ready."

A bullet suddenly hit an administrator next to Kouichi. More bullets soon sprayed across the ground, hitting students, teachers, and soldiers. And with his bright orange hair, Nairusu was an easy target. Ignoring their own safety, Kouji, Izumi, and the unidentified student ran over to get him away from the rain of death.

"He's still breathing," Izumi informed. "But I think the bullet hit a lung."

"Can you help me get him out of here?" Kouji questioned. The other student carefully placed one of Nairusu's arms around his neck to help him into a standing position, while Kouji did the same with the other arm.

Izumi began carving a path for them, pushing the panicked people out of the way so Kouji and the other student could get Nairusu out of the crowd. But eventually, Izumi found herself crashing into none other than Kouichi, who grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her from falling.

Unfortunately for them, the cuts on Kouji's neck were clearly visible this time.

"I should have known!" Kouichi growled, tightly gripping Izumi's shoulders. She quickly brought her knee up, connecting it with his groin. He fell over, temporarily out of the picture, but he did manage to yell, "Get them!"

The chase was on. Kouji, Nairusu, Izumi, and their newfound friend ran away from controlled students and faculty, while all those with the Resistance proved their training to be true. Fortunately for the four fugitives, more time ended up being spent on fighting and scanning DigiCode than actually trying to apprehend the so-called "enemies of the state."

"This way!" the student ordered, leading them to an Airdramon. Kouji used his D-scanner to release the creature from Kouichi's control before helping to rest a pain-stricken Nairusu on the Digimon's back.

"Where…are…you…going?" Nairusu managed to gasp out.

"Take him to the settlement by Mt. Fuji," the student requested softly.

"And get everyone to the evacuation ship," Kouji added. "Get them to Hong Kong."

"Nairusu, hold on as tight as you can, okay?" Izumi instructed. "Whatever you do, don't let go. We're going to rendezvous with Himi."

They ran toward a woodsy area, where a large concrete manhole protruded from the ground. But before they could reach it, the Imperial Guard appeared.

Startled by the ambush, Izumi and Kouji reached for their digivices.

"Leave them to me," their new friend volunteered. He performed a simple judo throw on one mercenary, knocking him into a soldier.

While he dealt with the Imperials, the two Legendary Warriors removed the iron lid of the manhole and jumped down, heading off to find Himi, who was surrounded by the Imperial Guard.

"Finally, I have three of the top fighters of the Resistance," Kouichi observed. "Do you have any last requests?"

"I do," Kouji replied. "Will you let them go if I surrender?"

"And why should I do that?"

In a single instant, Kouji had his laser gun out on his brother, his finger on the dummy trigger.

"Because you know what I'll do if you don't. And I _will _do it."

"Captain, release them," Kouichi ordered. Kouji made certain that Izumi and Himi were long gone before he finally dropped his weapon to the ground. "Sakuyamon," Kouichi called.

A tall humanoid Digimon in golden armor stepped behind Kouji. She took her golden staff and pressed it against his neck, while using her left arm to restrain his head. As he tried to move his head to see if Izumi and Himi were safe, she grabbed him by the hair and roughly pulled his head back. Just by that method of detainment, Kouji recognized Sakuyamon as the Renamon that had tortured him three years earlier.

"I suppose this isn't very comfortable," Kouichi commented in mock compassion, "but I really can't have you escaping, now can I?" He then removed two crescent-shaped strips of black metal and placed them around Kouji's neck, creating a circle. Within seconds, the circle sealed itself and red symbols on it began blinking. "Sakuyamon, release him." The Ultimate level Digimon obeyed while Kouji stood still, afraid of what this Black Ring would make him do.

"Pure Flame Fox Dance!"

Kouji responded to her attack in an instant, grabbing her staff and using it to pull her feet out from beneath her. Obviously, this ring didn't have the power to control his actions. Yet he had no time for relief as thousands of bands of DigiCode wrapped around him, creating an egg-like structure.

"Time to begin phase one," Kouichi decided.

Kouji pounded on the walls of his prison, determined to exit before he could be forced to evolve. But eventually the changes started to come: his clothes disappearing, yielding to armor; a transformation of his hair and eye colors; alterations in his height and strength; and weapons waiting for the chance to be used. As the DigiCode walls began to break down to reveal Kouji's new form of Beowulfmon, he forced himself to devolve, receiving opposition from Kouichi on the other end. The tug-of-war continued, with no victor apparent, until a shout of anger could be heard from Kouichi. Kouji tore himself free from the power binding him and devolved. The DigiCode unraveled around him, allowing him to see the mysterious student standing over several unconscious bodies.

"Your brother escaped," he informed. "But he'll be back, and he'll have an army searching for you." Kouji nodded in understanding, breathing heavily from the battle of power.

They darted down the tunnel, finally arriving at an underground train station where Trailmon was waiting with Izumi, MetalGarurumon, and Himi.

"Get aboard," Himi ordered, half-pushing Izumi inside.

"What about you guys?" Kouji questioned as he stood next to Izumi inside the door.

"I'm going to get everyone to Hong Kong," Himi explained.

"And I'll help MetalGarurumon see to it that you're not followed," the student added. "Press something on your digivice. That way, Kouichi will think that you used your Beast Spirit." He didn't use the slang the Chosen and all those close to them used, proving that he was not someone they'd previously known. Kouji followed orders, causing the Black Ring to blink in alert to Kouichi. From there, the doors closed and Himi, MetalGarurumon, and their new ally ran off.

Kouji momentarily sat down on one of the leather seats as a jolt of turbulence rocked the Trailmon, informing them all that they'd passed through the digital barrier. Unconsciously, he brought his feet up onto the seat as the form of Garmmon flashed over him. Across from him, Izumi was flickering in and out of Fairymon's body.

He stood up, now leaving MagnaGarurumon's form and entering Wolfmon's, and walked to the platform. Ahead of them was a world known for being inhospitable, and behind them was one that they'd learned was just as dangerous. He stared at everything he and Izumi were leaving behind—a world that had turned against them. He looked down at his body, the body of Beowulfmon, and wondered where everything would go to from there.

A gloved hand rested on his shoulder. He turned to see Izumi, in the form of Shutumon, staring at him with what had to be a smile underneath that mask. She rested her head against his shoulder as he held her close. As long as there was a tomorrow to fight for, they would continue the battle together.

_Ojii-san: Grandfather_

_Baka: Idiot, jerk_

**I credit my friend Ashley for this chapter. It sounds very much like a chapter in her story _The Range_. I only wish she had the Internet so she could post it. It's an original story, and it's good! Also, part of the fight in the dream sequence came from _Return of the Jedi. _Romi was named for Romi Paku, Ken and Osamu's voice in the Japanese version. Hiwa was from the _manga No Need for Tenchi. _But Keiko was not supposed to be the other Dark Spore girl. I didn't even remember her name when I wrote this. Also, the "rain of death" and indigestion comment were from _Robotech: the Macross Saga. _As for the stranger...you'll find out eventually.**


	12. Across the Tears

_"You'll find me beyond the tears  
__While making sure, one by one  
__I'll become myself toward tomorrow."  
__Takato Matsuda—"Across the Tears"  
__(Translated by Riah-chan)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Nine: "Across the Tears"

_Nothing yet, _Kouichi thought as he held his D-scanner. _But soon he'll be forced to evolve. It's only a matter of time…_ There was a knock on the door to his study. "What?" he asked, more than just a little annoyed.

The door opened and Sakuyamon entered, followed by Agumon, Guilmon, and Lilymon. These were the same four Digimon who had deposited Kouji in Cell 24 in the first place, and were therefore in charge of recapturing him. Of course, Renamon had become Sakuyamon, but the others had learned to evolve as well. Palmon had become Lilymon not long after Renamon's evolution, and Agumon and Guilmon had the ability to evolve at will to WarGreymon and Dukemon respectively, but they remained at their Child levels in order to conserve energy.

"Kaiser, we have taken the town Kouji Minamoto was hiding in," Sakuyamon informed.

"And?"

She lowered her head in disgrace. "There was no one."

"But we did manage to locate a Trailmon heading for the Digital World," Guilmon pointed out.

"So they all decided to run," Kouichi realized. He then shrugged it off. "It really doesn't matter. Once Kouji evolves, I'll have him. Thank you. You are dismissed." The Digimon bowed in the preferred Asian style and exited.

_"Your brother is proving to be more trouble than he's worth," _the Kaiser observed.

"He is no longer my brother," Kouichi denied. "We may share the same parents, stepmother, half-sister, and even DNA, but we are certainly not brothers."

_"I am afraid we will be forced to fuse entirely," _the Kaiser confessed.

"I believe so as well," Kouichi murmured. He had been dreading this moment. He didn't know if the Kaiser would overtake him completely, or whether they would share the same consciousness. It had been simple for the Kaiser to take over Kouji's mind, so what would stop him from overcoming Kouichi's defenses? But Kouichi closed his eyes anyway and allowed the last traces of the entity entirely consume him. The room filled with the deepest darkness any world had ever known. In his mind's eye, Kouichi could see images of his past as the Chosen Child of Darkness, and even some from his doings as Duskmon. He banished every image to the farthest corner of his mind until he was finally faced with the Chosen Children themselves. With his own bare hands, he slew each one: Takuya first, then Junpei, then Tomoki, then Izumi, and then finally Kouji. With each murder, he grew stronger and stronger. The original Kaiser, Ken Ichijouji, appeared before him, and Kouichi glared at him in disgust. How could a being that powerful succumb to something as pathetic as the Crest of Kindness? His complete and utter disgust with Ken forced the darkness to slip away from the study, seeping into the atmosphere of Earth. But he didn't want that. He didn't want his power to control him. So he held onto each shadow, taking the darkness deeper and deeper within him, just as he'd absorbed the attacks of the Legendary Warriors in his days as Duskmon.

He opened his eyes and flexed his fingers. His hands seemed to be a little bigger, stronger. He then walked over to a mirror and observed a very well toned body showing through the Kaiser's robes. And even the robes were different. Instead of the royal blue color, they were now all black with a long black leather cape attached to a silver chain, holding it in place. Silver gauntlets rested on his arms, and shiny black leather boots adorned his feet. He _was_ the Kaiser now.

"Now let me see," he commented cruelly. "What to do about that nuisance, Kouji?" He lifted his digivice in the air, releasing a terrible darkness into the Digital World. "Excellent. Those two are in for an unpleasant surprise when they reunite with their friends."

-------  
Kouji and Izumi sat down on the bench of the Soyokaze Terminal in defeat. After six days, they still hadn't located any trace of the Fuji Resistance, and all that failure had been getting to them. Kouji began tugging at the Black Ring while Izumi watched in curiosity.

"Still haven't figured out how to break it?" she asked. He shook his head and pulled out his digivice.

"This worked last time." He pressed it against the cold metal of the Black Ring. Just as it had last time, the D-scanner released a bluish-white light, burning at the evil collar. Kouji withstood the power drain as much as he could, hoping the light from the evolution device would work, but after several minutes, he gave up and began breathing heavily. "This one's a lot stronger than the last."

The sound of wheels clanking along the train tracks disrupted the stillness of the Soyokaze Terminal. Both Izumi and Kouji turned as Trailmon Franken made his way up to them.

"Well, if it isn't the human I raced with," Trailmon recognized. "Someone told me you and the girl would be here. I didn't believe him, but I went along to humor him."

"Who was it that told you?" Kouji questioned.

"He wore a long brown coat with a hood. He looked human, but he could have been a human-type Digimon in human clothes. I couldn't make out any facial features because his hood covered his face. And he wore black gloves on his hands so I couldn't tell if he had claws or nails."

"Not much to go on," Kouji realized.

"Thanks anyway, Trailmon," Izumi added.

"Well, I suppose you'll be needing a ride," Trailmon continued, "especially if you want to reach your friends in the Gotsumon village."

"The Gotsumon or the other Chosen?" Kouji checked.

"Well, it could be the Chosen, but the guy who sent me said that there was trouble with a Gotsumon friend of yours—one that wore a magnifying glass around his neck."

Izumi put her hand on Kouji's shoulder, understanding that he was worried about his friend. If not for Gotsumon, Kouji never would have found his B-Spirit, and therefore could never have used his Beast Spirit form or Advance Spirit form. So in that aspect, Izumi also owed Gotsumon, for without him, Kouji wouldn't be there and she quite possibly might not be either.

"We'd better go," she decided, assuring him that this slight change in their plans was all right.

"By the way," Trailmon added. "That guy left something for you in my third car."

Confused, the two humans entered the third car to find a navy blue duffel bag and a green backpack waiting for them on the seats. Cautiously, they unzipped the bags, finding in each a change of clothes, a lantern, canteens filled with water, and a plastic bag. The clothes were green camouflage pants and black hiking boots—both of which looked standard for the United States' Army. But they each had a T-shirt from home: the tan T-shirt Kouji had been wearing the day before Takamoto's plan had been put into action, and the shirt and bandana Kouji had given Izumi. And each plastic bag was different as well: Izumi's contained a first aid kit while Kouji's had a Swiss Army knife and thousands of Fox Leaf Arrowheads. Remembering how he'd used them for light in Cell 24, he removed the lids of the lanterns and filled them with the arrowheads, gaining a light source that didn't require heat. Each lantern also had a black cloth cover to block the light when it wasn't necessary.

_Whoever thought that something good could actually come out of torture? _Kouji thought.

It had been several weeks after his initial capture. Kouichi had a meeting to attend, so it was up to Renamon to enforce punishment when the younger twin had removed his Licht Sieger blades to disarm a landmine that someone had stepped on.

Renamon had forced him all the way to Cell 24, using her Wisteria Punch to keep him from moving away. Next, she locked him in the rusted iron rack.

"Wisteria Punch!" she ordered, hitting him over and over until he was forced to devolve to his human state. In his smaller form, he was easier to beat. "Fox Leaf Arrowhead!"

The arrowheads pierced Kouji's skin like tiny daggers. And unlike some attacks, Fox Leaf Arrowheads didn't disappear once their purpose was served. A victim was always forced to pull them out if he was lucky enough to survive.

Somehow during all this, the right arm cuff broke off, exposing Kouji's back, which Renamon took advantage of immediately.

"Fox Leaf Arrowhead!"

The arrowheads struck his body, pinning his clothes to him. His T-shirt and jacket were now uncomfortably attached to him, and he couldn't move at all for fear of tearing his skin apart.

After a lifetime, Renamon finally released him and exited, leaving the young warrior on his own to tend to his wounds. Pulling out the arrowheads was even more painful than having them pressed in. A small pile formed from whole arrowheads. The broken ones just showed their DigiCode, giving Kouji the idea to press his back against the wall, breaking those ones as well.

"DigiCode Scan!" he ordered. The tiny rings entered his digivice easily, causing the arrowheads to fall apart. But he managed to grab one before it disintegrated and saw that it was really a leaf, hardened and sharpened by the light into an arrowhead.

Now there was the question of what to do with the arrowheads. Kouji had no trashcan, so it was up to his improvisation to find a place to dispose of these small weapons. But the light from them was too much of an ally to throw away. His mind made up, he took a lantern and filled it with the leaves. The bright light proved to be much more useful than candlelight, and easier to brighten. He pressed his D-scanner against the glass of the lantern and released the DigiCode, making the light even brighter.

"Whoever packed this really thought things through," Izumi observed, interrupting Kouji's memory. "You think our helper's been to the Digital World before?"

"Probably. Check for a name on your bag."

They searched the bags for any identification that could be the clue to the identity of their mysterious helper.

"I didn't find anything," Izumi admitted. "This guy also went through a lot of trouble to hide his identity."

"Yeah, but I managed to find something," Kouji replied, holding up part of a tag that had been on the inside. The capital Roman letter "K" and a lowercase "i" were on it.

"Ki?" Izumi read.

"It's only part of his name, but at least it's something."

Izumi sat down next to Kouji and began to theorize. "So 'Ki' knows exactly what we need here. You think he might be Kage or one of the others?"

"We'd have to see him first to figure that out," Kouji replied. "For all we know, Ki could be Kouichi."

"You really don't think that, do you?"

"I really can't say. We don't have much to go on about Ki's identity—just these bags and what's in them." He placed an arm around Izumi and stole a quick glance out the window just in time to see someone standing along the side of the tracks. Not wanting to startle Izumi with his suspicions, he decided not to mention it.

_Is that guy following us?_ he wondered.

-------  
"Ki," as he'd been dubbed, watched Trailmon Franken speed by with Izumi and Kouji on board.

_Good,_ he thought, _they came. It'll be up to them to stop this. _He looked up at the sky and noticed twilight was suddenly upon them—and an hour and a half earlier than usual. _The powers of Darkness are rising. Kouichi must have used something more powerful than he normally does. But he doesn't have the ability to do that… _His indigo eyes widened in shock. _No! They've merged entirely!_ He broke the silence with several loud curses. _I hope we can find the center of his power before time runs out. If dusk is approaching this quickly, then the sun might not rise again tomorrow._

-------  
Trailmon Franken halted in the middle of nowhere and allowed his two passengers to exit.

"This is the closest the tracks get to the Gotsumon's mountain," he informed.

"_Grazie_!" Izumi thanked in Italian. "Goodbye!" Trailmon quickly headed off, leaving to avoid being detected by Kouichi.

"I have to admit this was a lot faster than going on foot," Kouji confessed. "We got here in only two days."

"But we also didn't have about a hundred distractions along the way," Izumi reminded him.

"True," Kouji agreed with a laugh.

"Now there's a change."

"What?"

"You're smiling. I hardly ever see you do that." His smile suddenly faded. "Oh, I'm sorry. I hope I didn't offend you."

"No, it's okay. I was just thinking how weird it was."

"How weird what was?"

"That I have little problem being myself around you, but I still have to keep my emotions deeply in check. The times I'm most restrained are the times when I'm happiest."

"How so?"

"Remember the night we sat on that log? Before Kage interrupted?"

"How could I ever forget?" She sighed dreamily.

"There had been so much I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. There were so many times I'd been betrayed that I forgot how to trust anyone again, even you. But that one small part of me—the part I always held back, that I always fought so I wouldn't lose control—reminded me that you were always trying to be there for me, and I always tried to do the same for you."

Izumi was silent for a second as they both stopped walking. "You know, it's okay to lose control." Kouji looked at her, confused. "Losing control is something all living beings have the right to do. It's why we have emotions. We're not supposed to control them." The silence that accompanied her statement was deafening as they both stood there, unable to think of anything more to add. Suddenly, and without any reason for it, she playfully tugged at his hair. "Are you going to cut this again?" It was as random a question as possibly conceivable. Kouji's raven-colored hair had been reaching past his earlobes for several weeks now, and Izumi had never commented on it in the past.

"I've been trying to grow it out," he admitted. "I really don't like having my hair short. It reminds me of some bad experiences." The dark regret played in his blue eyes again as he said it, leading Izumi to logically assume that this seemingly normal response had something to do with his slave life.

"Well, I'm glad you're growing it out again," she commented. "I miss seeing Kouji instead of Masaki."

"Come on," he urged softly. "We've got a long walk ahead of us." But as they resumed their hike, he saw a shrouded figure out of the corner of his eye.

"Something wrong?"

"No. Nothing."

_-------  
That was too close, _Ki thought, trying to keep his breathing under control. _I don't want anyone knowing that I'm here—at least not yet._ He then watched Izumi and Kouji lug around two rather heavy bags of supplies. Ki felt a slight tinge of remorse. He'd come to the Digital World ready to make do with what he found. The only clothes he had were the ones on his back: a long brown suede jacket over a black T-shirt, the same type of camouflage pants and boots that had been packed in Kouji's and Izumi's luggage, and a reddish-brown hood sewn onto the jacket to cover his head. He didn't have to carry what they did. But soon the regret turned to mild sarcasm as he thought, _You think Jyou could have packed any more for them?_ Jyou Kido was his friend, but the guy tended to go a little more than over the edge in trying to be prepared.

-------  
The sun was beginning to set as the duo reached the field of overgrown grass. They each brought out a lantern, trying to illuminate their path. But even the brilliant light produced by the arrowheads was useless as the tall grass made for very little visibility. The stalks reached just over Kouji's head and were nearly impossible to see over.

"Maybe we should set up camp for the night," Izumi suggested.

"All right, but not here. It's too out in the open." And just as he was finished saying that, a loud cry pierced the twilight:

"V Breath Arrow!"

Kouji and Izumi quickly got out of the way as the attack plowed through the grass in front of them, creating a path for a very angry V-dramon. The large blue dragon sniffed the air and growled as he began walking past them.

"Where do you think he's going?" Izumi questioned.

"I think we'd better find out," Kouji decided. Rapidly, both pulled out their D-scanners.

"Spirit Evolution!"

"Wolfmon!"

"Fairymon!"

-------  
Kouichi grinned at the blinking symbols on his digivice that alerted him to Kouji's evolution. Phase one had been successful, and now Kouji had moved onto phase two. He was making things a lot easier for Kouichi without even knowing it. At any time, Kouichi could initiate the plan, but…

"Not yet," he decided. "I'd rather make him suffer."

-------  
The V-dramon turned for a moment at the burst of light, but decided to ignore it as he continued on his quest.

"V Breath Arrow!"

More grass was mowed down as the attack headed directly for V-dramon's opponent, who leapt into the air and released his attack:

"Angry Rock!"

"That was Gotsumon," Wolfmon recognized.

"Then let's go!" Fairymon decided.

"Licht Kugel!"

"Brezza Petalo!"

The two attacks struck V-dramon hard: the Licht Kugel between his eyes, and the Brezza Petalo across his body.

"Kouji, it's you!" Gotsumon recognized.

"What's this guy want with you?" Wolfmon asked.

"I don't know. I was investigating around where the statues were, and suddenly this guy attacked."

"Sounds like you came across something important to Kouichi," Fairymon surmised.

"If you're helping him, then you're no ally to me," V-dramon decided. "V Breath Arrow!"

"Licht Sieger!" Wolfmon leapt up and sliced the attack in half before taking a defensive position in front of Gotsumon, sabers in hand. The Black Ring began blinking brightly in the near darkness—crimson against dark blue.

_The Black Ring! _V-dramon recognized. _Then that's Kouji Minamoto!_

"Kouji, he's distracted!" Gotsumon whispered. "Let's take this opportunity to get out of here!" The Child took hold of Wolfmon's wrist and pulled him deeper into the forest of grass. Fairymon soon followed.

Once they were safely inside the Gotsumon village within the mountain, both Chosen devolved. Izumi was mildly winded, but Kouji was exhausted—not that he was going to show it though, but anyone who'd known him long enough could see that he seriously needed to rest.

"Everyone make room!" Gotsumon ordered.

"No, I'm okay," Kouji insisted.

"You used up too much of your trying to break the ring," Izumi theorized. "You shouldn't have evolved until you had rested. Two days wasn't…" Kouji shot her a long meaning, "Hold that thought" before he turned to Gotsumon.

"Would it be all right if we stayed here for the night?" he inquired.

"Sure," Gotsumon agreed. "It's not very comfortable, but it's better than being chased down by V-dramon all night."

"Right," Kouji answered, as though he wasn't exactly sure that was true.

An extra cavern had been cleared for them. They were forced to share the same room, but they trusted the other enough not to do anything. Plus, Kouji wasn't planning on hanging around the whole night anyway. They both lay down on the stone ground and pretended to sleep. At around midnight, when all the Gotsumon were asleep, Kouji stood up, prepared to leave.

"It wasn't the ring, was it?" Izumi guessed, sitting up. "Two days usually _is_ enough for you to recover."

"It may have been the ring, but not because I tried to break it," Kouji whispered. "When Kouichi put it on me in the tunnel, he forced me to evolve into Beowulfmon. He can tap into my evolutions, just like he did with the first Black Ring. He's doing something. I'm not sure what, but it's not going to end well for us. And Gotsumon…"

"What about him?"

"Ever wonder why he let V-dramon chase him down like that? An Adult like that would be nothing for him. Remember, he evolved to Insekimon to help us fight the Royal Knights, and they were Ultimate levels, right? He killed part of the Knightmon team with one attack—deleting them at once. And he also challenged Gigasmon and had me recover the B-Spirit when I was thrown into one of the statues and devolved. He fought with all his heart then, so why didn't he this time?"

"Maybe he's learned not to challenge anyone too strong for him."

"That's like saying the same for Takuya. You know that he'd evolve the first second of the battle. I agree; Gotsumon is smart enough not to face down someone stronger than he is, but then why didn't he evolve? I told you his attack can delete whatever it touches. Why wouldn't he use it? Unless someone's sacrificed his evolution for something else." He slipped out of the cavern.

"Where are you going?"

"Wait here. I have something I need to investigate."

He silently walked past all of the Gotsumon and pushed away the large stone that sealed off the caves. Then he sprinted off to the cliff overlooking the sea.

Four years ago, there had been three statues that could unearth the B-Spirit of Light. Now, partially in thanks to that Spirit, there was nothing left except for a green-covered cliff, downsized from the original. The statues had been destroyed once again thanks to V-dramon's attack.

_"I was investigating around where the statues were, and suddenly this guy attacked…"_ According to Gotsumon's testimony, V-dramon had apparently been guarding something there. Needing to find the answer, Kouji closed his hands around his D-scanner. He felt rather silly for doing this, but it usually worked. However, that didn't mean he wasn't glad that he was alone. He'd have rather killed himself than let anyone else see him doing this.

"Ancient Spirits of Light, guide me to the truth," he prayed. A bright white ray of light burst from his digivice and pointed to the forest. He was about to head off in that direction when a large stone narrowly missed his head. He turned to see Gotsumon, his long-time friend, now his greatest nemesis in this quest to find the answer.

"I assure you, the next shot won't miss," Gotsumon threatened.

"Double Spirit Evolution! Beowulfmon!"

-------  
Kouichi looked at the brightness of the symbols on his D-scanner.

"Excellent. He's done exactly what I wanted him to. Phase two successful. He's playing right into my hands. Onto phase three…"

-------  
V-dramon observed the bright flash of light that was Kouji's evolution and cursed under his breath.

"It's already begun!"

He rushed over to where the battle was taking place, only to be halted by Ki's voice. The mysterious figure was communicating via V-dramon's evolution.

"I'll keep an eye on how this goes," Ki assured. "You need to get Izumi—fast. I doubt Kouji will be able to win this one on his own, especially with the way I saw him."

"I understand," V-dramon replied, running off to find the female warrior. Silently, Ki was thankful he'd left his Digimon partner with a friend in his home dimension. He didn't need a jealous Digimon here now, he realized as he crushed the earphone he'd used to communicate to V-dramon with.

"Angry Rock!" Gotsumon attacked, sending several large stones in Beowulfmon's path.

"Licht Angriff!" he rebounded. "What's the matter? You haven't even tried to evolve."

"My evolution should be the least of your worries," Gotsumon taunted, observing the slightest of changes in his opponent's height. It was unnoticeable, unless one was actually looking for it.

_V-dramon had better hurry, _Ki thought. _I don't like the way this looks._

-------  
It's probably pointless to say that Izumi was more than a little surprised to see V-dramon standing outside the Gotsumon dwelling. Many of the Child level Digimon were prepared for a fight, but Izumi held up her hand to pause them.

"Let's hear what he has to say," she reasoned.

"Your friend Kouji is in danger," V-dramon alerted.

"Where?"

"The cliff. You have to evolve and help him! He can't hold out much longer!"

"It could be a trick," a Gotsumon warned.

"I'll have to take that risk," Izumi decided. "Spirit Evolution! Shutumon!"

She flew toward the site of the battle, followed closely by V-dramon on the ground. The Digimon was not only powerful but fast when he needed to be.

Finally, they reached Beowulfmon and Gotsumon. The battle was increasingly becoming more and more aggressive as neither fighter could manage to take down his opponent.

"Wind of Pain!" Shutumon shouted.

"V Breath Arrow!" V-dramon assisted.

Both attacks clearly struck Gotsumon at full force, but he never felt a thing.

"It won't work," Beowulfmon informed. "I've tried about a hundred times, and I haven't gotten any results."

Shutumon came to his side. "Then how can we stop him?"

"I don't know," he admitted, fixing his deep blue eyes on his adversary.

_Blue?_ Shutumon silently questioned. _His eyes were always brown before._

"Kouji, I think something's wrong with you."

-------  
"Now, Kouji, it's time for you to learn just how far my power can go," Kouichi stated, holding his D-scanner in the air. "DigiCode Scan!"

-------  
"Angry Rock!"

One of the miniature boulders hit Beowulfmon's face, crushing part of his helmet. A jagged edge of metal plunged into his skin, driven by the force of the stone. The metal, as it was already bent, nicked the bone below his right eye socket as it wedged itself into an uncomfortable position in the muscles of his face. He winced a bit, unable to blink or move any muscle in the right half of his face. Blood was beginning to run from the wound, staining the white metal. With the way blood was finding its way down the crushed metal that was the right side of his helmet, it looked as though he was crying blood.

"Kouji?" Shutumon checked.

"I'll be fine," he assured. "Just take care of Gotsumon."

"Feeling kind of tired, Warrior of Light?" Gotsumon asked. "This ought to help. Angry Rock!"

The stones knocked him off the edge of the cliff.

"Kouji!" Shutumon cried as Ki appeared from the shadows.

"You two handle Gotsumon!" he ordered. "I'll try and help Kouji."

The Chosen of Light hung off the side of the cliff, weighed down by the armor. His left arm was too heavy as his weapon covered it, so there was no chance of climbing up the rock, and he'd never survive a plunge into the sea below. He would sink instantly.

A brown suede coat was reached down to him, as a rope. Straining to move his left arm, he slammed it into the rock, bending the metal back to expose his hand. Now he was finally able to grip the coat. As he was pulled up, he began ripping off his gauntlets and shin guards, feeling crushed by them. He also kicked off the shoes, downsizing the weight. The removed armor splashed into the sea, seeming to be lost forever. Upon being pulled up to level ground, he stood up as Ki placed his jacket back on, pulling the hood up to conceal his face.

"You okay?" he checked.

"I think so. Where are Izumi and V-dramon?"

"They're chasing after Gotsumon. I told them to go on while I helped you."

They began running toward the others' location. But the whole time, Kouji had the feeling he recognized Ki from somewhere. And then it finally clicked.

"You're that student, aren't you? The one that helped us escape?"

"Yes, I am."

"So you're Ki as well?"

"Ki?"

"That's what we've been calling you. It's from the letters 'K' and 'i' on one of the bags you gave us."

Briefly, the ally remembered whom he got the bags from. When Jyou had been cutting the tag off his old blue duffel bag, he must have left the "Ki" behind from "Kido."

"Just keep calling me that," Ki requested. "It's better than being anonymous."

"But who are you?"

"That doesn't really matter at this point. Right now we have to…" A loud shout cut him off.

"V-mon Head!"

Both Ki and Kouji ran over to the sound of the attack. Gotsumon was fighting Shutumon, and a V-mon.

"Sorry I devolved," V-mon apologized.

"Gotsumon absorbed part of his DigiCode," Shutumon informed.

"We can't fight right now," Ki informed. "We have to return to the mountain. V-mon, I'm going to alter your evolution a bit."

"All right."

If not for the darkness, Shutumon and Kouji would have noticed Ki holding a digivice out to V-mon.

"V-mon armor evolve! Magnamon!"

"Kouji, Izumi, get to the mountain!" Ki ordered. "Magnamon and I'll finish this!"

"Madcap!"

"Plasma Shoot!"

Neither Legendary Warrior had any idea what the outcome of the battle was. They were too busy running for the mountain. Finally, it was within their reach. Almost immediately sensing what was wrong, the Gotsumon brought out the two bags of supplies.

Shutumon devolved and sat in front of Kouji. First, she removed the pocketknife from his bag and opened the largest blade. Carefully, she used it to pry the metal from where it had been lodged below Kouji's eye. That taken care of, Kouji removed the helmet, revealing his bruised and bleeding human face.

"That wound's deep," Izumi commented. "I need to sew it up." She removed the first aid kit from her pack, as well as a canteen of water. She poured water onto a piece of cotton gauze and began dabbing at the cut, cleaning it carefully. While Kouji held the cotton against his injury, Izumi threaded a needle and cut the excess string away. Cautiously, she began stitching together the two separated pieces of skin. Upon finishing, she taped a fresh piece of cotton over the wound and washed her hands with the water.

"You're welcome to stay here for the night," a Gotsumon offered.

"Thanks anyway," Izumi started, "but…"

"But we need to get started on the rest of our journey," Kouji finished.

"At least take the opportunity to change," another insisted. "You won't be able to make the trip in that armor."

"You're right," Kouji surrendered.

"I'd better too," Izumi agreed, gesturing to her school uniform. The gray-and-blue sailor top and blue plaid skirt were not exactly the most comfortable clothes to run around the Digital World in.

The two re-entered the mountain, choosing separate caverns in which to change into their spare clothes. Kouji discovered that his clothes had been completely torn away from his body in order to add some comfort in wearing the heavy armor.

_Not again, _he thought, remembering a similar incident. In that aspect, he was grateful that Takamoto had packed that extra set of clothes. After changing, he was ready to abandon the armor, but a nagging feeling in the back of his head insisted that he keep it. He just wasn't able to win today. Giving in, he just stuffed the armor in the bag and joined Izumi.

Trailmon Dark was awaiting the two when they arrived at Franken's last stop.

"Your friend with the Magnamon sent me," he informed. "He's going to meet you in the desert."

Without wasting any time, Izumi and Kouji boarded Trailmon Dark. But as the scenery around them changed, Izumi noticed an uncomforting silence in Kouji.

"What's wrong?" she questioned.

"I don't know."

"Is it your Spirits?"

"That's not the whole thing. I'm starting to think that all this power was wasted on me. Maybe the whole reason I was supposed to come to the Digital World was to find my brother. Maybe the Spirits of Light weren't meant for me."

"But Ophanimon selected you for them."

"That proves nothing. Ever since I got that message, everyone around me has had to suffer."

Izumi suddenly took his hand in hers. "You told me that you don't have trouble being yourself around me, and you're not acting like yourself. I know a lot of tragedies have happened in your life, but you don't have to keep it to yourself. Whatever's wrong, just share it with me. I'm here with you and by my own choice. Please don't keep doing this to yourself. If you need to lose control, it's okay. No one will hold it against you if you just act human for once."

He smiled faintly. "Thanks, Izumi. That's kind of what I needed to hear right now."

A mischievous smile crept on her lips. "Besides, if all else fails, I know where you're ticklish."

He laughed and put his arms around her. "Remind me to kill Takuya and Junpei for that."

**Thank you to Black Knightmon for telling me where I can find the Japanese names and attacks for the Digimon. Oh, and to let Dragon's star know, Mega is a dub term. The levels of the Digimon are as follows, in Japanese: American/Dub:**

**Baby I: Baby/Fresh  
****Baby II: In-training  
****Child: Rookie  
****Adult: Champion  
****Perfect: Ultimate  
****Ultimate: Mega**

**The "Ancient Spirits of Light, guide me" thing was based on Shaoran's compass in _CCS_. As for Ki, though... Here's what we do know: he's a guy, which rules out some CCs and Tamers. Also, he's the kid that helped Kouji and Izumi escape the school, so he's apparently their age—but he could be older, and he has blue eyes. Also, he knows Jyou. Here are the suspects: Yamato—who definitely knows Jyou, Takeru—who has the infamous hat that Ki was wearing, Ken—who would have reason to fight the Kaiser, and Ryo—who knows Jyou from being teamed with the 01 kids in _Anode Tamers_, who was partially responsible for Ken's becoming the Kaiser, and knows enough about the Digital World to survive through it. Also, he had V-mon once, so he knows the evolutions pretty well. Just see if you can figure it out before the end!**


	13. Version Up

_"And then_  
_We'll be reborn anew  
__And able to forgive,  
__So  
__Let's jump together  
__To the other side of the image."  
__Koushiro Izumi—"Version Up"  
__(Translated by Megchan)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Ten: "Version Up"

"This one is for Izumi, and this is for Kouji," four-year-old Dijon Azikiwe said, presenting his new friends each with a tiny leather pouch containing a beaded strip of leather. Izumi's was long and made to dangle in her hair. It was constructed of rose and lavender glass beads, and from the bottom dangled two silver charms designed to look like feathers. Kouji's, however, was in the shape of a circle with two tassels to tighten it, and was meant to tie back his shoulder-length hair. Blue and clear glass beads adorned it, and the ends of the leather tassels held silver charms carved into a wolf—one charm for each side. For both hairpieces, a silver bead slid up to hold it in place, but Izumi needed to twist the tiny loop of hers around her hair three times before sliding the bead up, and Kouji found he needed to wrap the leather ends around his hair a few times and then tie them.

"How did you learn to make this?" Kouji questioned in English, finding that his and Izumi's English skills were getting quite a workout on this journey. It would have been an interesting thing to mention to their English teacher back at the Imperial school, if they weren't outlaws and being chased by the Kaiser.

"María Ramirez," Dijon answered. Both teenaged Chosen felt a twinge of guilt, unable to break the terrible news to their young friend. "She knows all these Native American things and teaches me, while I teach her African things."

"Is she the one who made these charms?" Izumi asked.

"Mm-hmm. The beads too. She used to do glass blowing."

"Dijon!" called his mother, Ariela.

"Coming!" He turned back to his friends. "I got to go. Say hi to Ki for me."

"We will," Kouji promised.

"Thanks!" Izumi cried.

An entire month had passed without any progress. Instead, all they'd found was digress. An unnatural fever epidemic had ravaged the caravans in the desert, diverting them from their quest to find Kage and the others. With their old friends Dinohumon and Grizzmon, they were trying to track down a cure for it, without any success. Ki had left the Gotsumon village as fast as possible, instructing V-mon to protect it for a while. It was Ki's job to figure out what the fever was while Kouji and Izumi tried to treat some of the patients.

"Things all right in the African caravan?" Ki checked once they entered the tent. Instead of answering, they both sat down on chairs. "That bad, huh?"

"No new cases, but no one is getting any better," Kouji replied.

"Three people died today," Izumi added, removing her bandana. "One of them was Dijon's friend María. We weren't able to break the news to him."

"Things are just as bad with the Digimon," Ki informed. "I checked up on them in one of the infirmaries. I hope it's some comfort to you that your friends Bearmon and Kotemon haven't gotten sick."

"It is," Kouji assured. "That Kotemon, and one back home, helped save my life—only this one died to do it. I'd hate for him to die again, or for Bearmon to die."

"Any clues to where this came from?" Izumi questioned.

Ki turned to the computer that had been installed in their tent for his research, and brought up all the information he had. "I don't have anything yet. Unless I can analyze some of this, we won't be able to find an antidote. I've been trying to contact your friend Kage, but I think he might be blocking me." He wiped his forehead on the back of one of his gloves. It was then that they observed he'd removed his coat and placed it on the back of his chair. He'd also ripped off the hood and was using it as a hat. "I've had so many false leads… It's not the water, patients are quarantined too quickly to determine if it's contagious, and I haven't detected any parasites causing this. I can't think of what's causing this."

"Ki!" Grizzmon called. "There's trouble in the African caravan!"

"What happened?" Kouji asked.

"A young boy has gotten sick," Dinohumon informed.

Fears flying, the three humans and two Digimon ran across the desert sands, finally reaching the African caravan. And just as they'd feared, Dijon was the newest patient. His face was flushed, and he was having trouble breathing. He'd been laid on a cot and a cool, damp washcloth had been placed over his burning head.

"He was fine earlier," Kouji protested.

"I know," Ariela answered, her face as pale as a dark-skinned person's could be. Her concern for her son was starting to make her look sick, in Kouji's eyes. "He collapsed, clutching the back of his neck in pain."

"The back?" Ki repeated in surprise.

"Does this mean something?" Grizzmon questioned.

"I'm not sure. But it sounds like an illness I've heard of. Someone once became very ill after being hit in the back of the neck. He was bedridden for a year or two."

"Is this the same sickness?" Izumi asked.

"I can't say. That illness wasn't fatal, but it nearly was for some people. I have to look into this. I'll meet you later. I have to see if Kage answered my mail."

-------  
Kage sat down on a tree stump and began checking his computer. An e-mail was waiting for him.

"This guy's persistent," he commented. "How many e-mails has he sent me?" He clicked the checkbox next to the mail and prepared to delete it when the subject caught his eye: _"Caravan epidemic." _"What's that supposed to mean?" Finally, he opened it and found details on the illness that had ravaged the desert caravans.

_This sounds just like Takamoto's bacterium, _he realized. _But there aren't any mutations linked with it…_ His thoughts suddenly drifted back to Earth as he remembered when they'd taken the Mt. Fuji hospital. "Takuya! Takuya! Where is that goggle head? Never around when you need him. Takuya!"

"What?" the aforementioned "goggle head" responded.

"I need a second opinion," he explained. "Does this sound like the bacterium that killed Miyagami, or is it just me?"

Takuya skimmed through the e-mail quickly. The sender had mentioned that there seemed to be no reason for the sudden illness, and that the fever was what seemed to be the main killer, although some people would show bruises or cuts on their bodies. Out of all the people that had fallen victim, no one had recovered.

"Yeah," he agreed. "But Takamoto made sure that it was destroyed, right?"

"I thought so too, but…"

"But what?"

"When we saved that hospital, the one Izumi led us to, so many people were dying. It looked like abuse, judging by all the bruises and lacerations the patients had, but… What if it was that?"

"Huh?"

"Akagami was a mercenary, working for the Kaiser of his own free will. What if he managed to get a sample of the bacterium and sent it to the Kaiser? After all, it would explain the sudden stocking of penicillin, remember? Remember when Sakiko mentioned that? According to Takamoto, Miyagami had noticed it too. Those bruises the hospital patients had must have been a weaker form of the mutations."

"Then why don't all the fever patients have them?" Takuya asked.

"I'll bet anything that the bacterium has been refined, to filter out everything but the fever. But the Kaiser must have gotten sloppy and didn't filter out the newest batch well enough. In more recent doses, there were traces of the mutagen." He began rapidly typing back an e-mail. "I've got to let them know. I may be wrong, but a sample of the bacterium can't lie. This fever is definitely lethal, and the only key to saving these people died three years ago."

-------  
"Thank God!" Ki declared upon seeing a response to his e-mail. _Hmm, a bacterium created by Takamoto. That's weird. I've met the guy, and I know he wouldn't do something like that._ Outside, the sun was beginning to rise. He yawned, promising himself never to pull one of these all-nighters again. _But there's always still a chance, _he reminded himself. He brought up the information he'd been studying before and yawned again as he squinted at it, wishing he'd thought to bring his glasses.

"Ki?" Kouji questioned.

"There's something we've been meaning to ask," Izumi added.

"What is it?" he asked, turning around in his chair. Kouji looked at the computer screen.

"The Dark Seed? Is that what you think this illness is?" the Warrior of Light questioned.

"I don't know," Ki admitted.

"Is this what you were so confused about last night?" Izumi asked.

"Yes."

"Then what does the tool that forced Ken Ichijouji to become the original Digimon Kaiser have to do with any of this?" Kouji questioned.

"That's what I'm trying to find out. You see, he became very sick when he first got it. It's hard to say why, but part of the reason could be because it was originally heading for Ryo Akiyama, Ken's 'older brother' figure. But Ken took it instead to protect Ryo."

"Why would Ryo be the target?" Izumi interrogated.

"From what I've learned, Millenniumon—the creature who released the Dark Seed—was Ryo's partner, and I guess the only way Millenniumon thought he be joined with his partner was by forcing him to be the Tamer. But Destiny decided to intervene by having Ken take the Seed, and therefore become the Kaiser two years later."

"Then Kouichi could be behind this," Kouji realized. "If he's using the Black Ring, then why wouldn't he use the Dark Seed?"

"That's what I've been looking up," Ki informed. "My friend Koushiro gave me whatever research he'd compiled on the Dark Seed. Just prior to the defeat of BelialVamdemon, the Dark Seed was tested on twenty other children. Those children were between the ages of nine and twelve—same age as the Chosen in that world and this one—and they experienced most of the same symptoms that Ken did, but much more quickly, and without the illness. They were becoming better at sports and academics, and their attitudes toward the world began changing. The Chosen came to know four of them: Noriko—age ten, Hiroshi—age twelve, Takashi—age nine, and Keiko—age eleven. Noriko was constantly sick due to a delicate immune system, Takashi was constantly ostracized from other kids, Keiko was an aspiring baker who had lost faith in her cooking skills, and Hiroshi gave up his dream to be a _manga_ artist because of his friends. Their depression singled them out from other children, making them the perfect hosts for the Seeds. But there was a problem. The Seeds eventually began to sprout, and spread roots within the children, rather than keeping the power confined like in Ken's case. A flower bloomed from each child's head, and BelialVamdemon absorbed the dark power in order to grow stronger. Each child was drained for a long time. Today, they're all living relatively normal lives and working toward fulfilling their dreams, but like Ken, they have to fight against the Dark Seeds everyday for the remainder of their lives."

"But?" Kouji pressed.

"But I don't think he's using it."

"How can you be so sure?" Izumi questioned.

"I can't be. It's just a theory. But I do know one thing. If Kouichi did decide to use Dark Seeds, he wouldn't waste them on a group of settlers. He'd use one on himself."

"How do you know?" Kouji asked.

"Because Ken would have done the same." He stretched at the desk. "Kage wrote me. He said the illness sounded like something he'd faced before, but he'll need a sample of it to be sure."

"Madcap!"

The three humans automatically hit the ground as their tent collapsed on top of them. Quickly, they crawled out of the ruins to see Gotsumon standing over them.

"Nice to see that bruise has healed," he mocked, referring to the injury below Kouji's eye. "But not for long." His stone foot connected with Kouji's right eye, bruising it again. Over and over, the Child Digimon continued his assault while his victim was trapped underneath a mess of sand-colored canvas, rope, and wood.

_I hope Iori's kendo tips helped,_ Ki prayed, grabbing a two-by-four. Silently, he slipped out from under the tent and brought the wood down on Gotsumon's head. The beam broke in half, ineffective. _Apparently not, _he decided. But the interference was just the opportunity Kouji needed to grab Gotsumon's leg and pull him down, biding himself time to get up.

"Oh no you don't!" Gotsumon denied, removing the round magnifier from the handle of his magnifying glass, revealing a blow dart. With a quick puff of breath, he managed to lodge a dart the width of a toothpick in Kouji's neck. The young Warrior of Light carefully removed it and handed it to Ki.

"Here's the sample you need," he said.

"I'll e-mail the genetic information to Kage right away," Ki promised.

"What?" Gotsumon exclaimed. "That's impossible! No one can be immune to that!" Sure enough, Kouji shook his head a few times to fight off a feverish lightheadedness. "Just as I thought. You can just fight it a little better, but you can't beat it. And that means neither of your friends is immune to it either."

Ki ran over, dropped to the ground, and kicked Gotsumon's left foot out from under him in a sliding block. But it was all a split-second too late. The dart entered Izumi's neck, injecting her with the disease as well. Her effects were more immediate, forcing Kouji to run over to help her stand.

"Quick!" Ki warned. "Scan his DigiCode!"

"DigiCode Scan!" Kouji ordered, trying to purify the dark data. But already his hands were beginning to shake, and the DigiCode started slipping away from his digivice.

"DigiCode Scan!" Izumi insisted, weakly holding out her digivice. The black data strand split in two, one strand entering Kouji's blue-and-black D-scanner, and the other entering Izumi's purple-and-pink one.

Gotsumon blinked, unsure as to where he was or how he'd arrived there. But his memory of his actions returned in a flash as he looked at his friends with a horrified look on his face.

"What have I done?" he asked.

"Everyone's entitled to at least one mistake in his life," Ki explained. "Come on. I'll need help getting them to the nearest hospital tent."

Being careful not to accidentally inject himself or break the blow dart, Ki placed Izumi's arm around his neck and helped her walk to the African caravan's infirmary. Kouji's movements were too shaky for him to help her, and he couldn't even be trusted to walk on his own. Gotsumon walked over to the young human that had saved his life when they'd fought the Royal Knights, and lowered his head. After a few seconds, Kouji realized that it was an indication for him to place his hand on the Digimon's head so he'd be able to walk without stumbling. Gently, he did so, and they both slowly headed to catch up with Ki and Izumi.

-------  
Kage looked at the newest e-mail from Ki. It was the enlarged photographs and the amino acid composition of the bacterium causing the fever in the caravans. He shook his head as he compared them to the notes he'd gotten from Takamoto.

"Takuya, it isn't good," he informed.

"You mean…"

"The amino acids are the same, meaning the DNA is the same. And that means the bacterium is the same." He e-mailed the confirmation back to Ki, and closed his laptop.

"Tomoki!" Takuya called. "Skye!"

Both young teenagers rushed over at the sound of the leader's frantic cry.

"Takuya _onii-chan_, what is it?" Tomoki questioned.

"I need you to go to the desert caravans," he requested. "Skye, go with him."

"Why?" she asked.

"A fever's broken out there," Kage explained. "Tomoki's Spirit of Ice can ease some pain while the Chiba/Beijing force creates an antibiotic."

"You think Tai's going to be okay with this?" Takuya checked.

"I'll e-mail her," Kage answered. "She knows that even though I'm her younger brother, it's a good idea to listen to me."

"Yeah. You are right most of the time," Takuya agreed.

"Guess we'd better head off then," Tomoki suggested to Skye.

"Whatever you do, don't waste any time," Kage warned. "These people have none to spare. They're dying fast."

-------  
Kouji removed a cool damp cloth from a metal bucket and placed the terry cloth over Dijon's forehead.

"Thank you," the small boy whispered before falling asleep again.

Kouji then handed the bucket of water and washcloths to Izumi, who insisted that he took one for his head.

"You can't possibly fight it off any longer," she observed. "Why are you exhausting yourself?"

His eyes drifted to the sleeping child on the cot. This had happened before, when he was still a slave. By a miracle—although, many people would argue with Kouji that it was, in fact, a blessing and not a curse that had landed him in that situation—Kouichi had allowed him to remain in his family's cell to heal after a blood transfusion. He was there for three weeks, and during the fourth day, he'd found out that perhaps he was even luckier than others despite the fact that he'd been deprived of his senses for a little over forty days:

As he walked down Cellblock 18, he heard a bone-rattling cough, much like the ones he tended to make when he'd been out in the cold too long. A young boy—no older than five—was sitting up in the night, coughing hard.

"Are you okay?" Kouji checked in his usual, quiet voice.

"I don't know. I can't stop coughing." Almost as a demonstration, he began coughing even harder.

"Hold on. I'll be right back." Instinct took over, leading Kouji back to the cell he'd been sharing with his family. A straw mat lay on the floor, intended for his use so he wouldn't have to get sick lying on the cold floor. He rolled it up as carefully as possible and carried it to the boy's cell, using the sounds of the coughing as a guide. "Here," he offered, sticking it through the bars.

"Thank you," the boy replied, unrolling it and lying on it.

"The next night, I found out he'd died," Kouji explained. "I don't know what it was—asthma maybe? Whatever it was, it was worse than my disorder. But the one thing I could think was that all I'd done was make his death less painful…" His voice sounded oddly choked. "Or killed him faster." He cleared his throat, masking his emotions once more. "You'd better get these to the other patients. They're probably overheating by now."

"Right," Izumi answered somewhat sadly. Kouji rarely told stories of his life in Cell 24, but when he did, everyone listened. Whether they liked him or hated him, people would stop to hear him speak about this. He wasn't much of a talker, and found that oral stories were the hardest thing for him to get through, but his mind was full of so many vivid details that poured forth as he spoke. Every time one of his accounts was finished being told, no one could help but wonder if he was telling the whole story. This time there was no doubt. The story was short, yes, but he'd told every portion of it without toning anything down. He was opening up a little more, but it was just so obvious that the legend of the Digimon Kaiser was no longer some child's bedtime story or a horror story told around a campfire. Several times, the story had nearly cost him his life. How ironic was it that telling the story seemed to be keeping him alive? The unchecked emotions he'd never been able to release were finally coming out. And if there was another way for him to release this other than speaking, Izumi would advise it in a heartbeat. The pain was eating him alive.

She pushed back the tent flap to see Gotsumon standing there. "I think someone else has been listening to your story," she informed.

"Come on in," Kouji urged.

Gotsumon kept his head down, unable to look at Kouji's bruised and scraped face. "I wanted to see how you were doing," he explained, bringing in Kouji's bag and Dijon's craft supplies. "Ki said I should bring some of this stuff in for you. I put Izumi's stuff in her room."

"Thanks," Kouji replied. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry for what I did."

"It's okay. You've done enough to help me already. You've paid in advance."

"No, I haven't."

"Then would it help you if I said that someone else has already paid for you?" Kouji asked, remembering Kotemon's words about having paid the favor forward by helping Kouji escape, so it could repay itself later.

"I guess."

"That's better," Izumi commented. "Gotsumon, like Kouji was saying, this wasn't your fault. Anyone Kouichi controls is like a slave: They have no free will of their own."

"I guess you're right."

"Hey," Ki interrupted, entering. "Gotsumon, I need your help. We're heading off to Seraphimon's castle, where we have to locate the Chiba/Beijing Resistance. They're going to help find an antidote."

"Did Kage find out what the illness was?" Izumi questioned.

"Yes. He'd been theorizing it for a while, but he needed the sample to be entirely sure. Apparently, it's a variation of a bacterium your friend Takamoto created, and it had killed a man named Miyagami." Suddenly, the air in the tent became thick with tension. "I take it you've seen this illness before."

"Yeah," Kouji replied, regret present in his voice. "I was the only one that survived it. Out of two patients, I was the one that lived."

"I see," Ki replied. "What were your symptoms?"

"Fever, recoding of DNA," Izumi described, remembering it all too painfully. "In anyone with a Digimon form like Kouji and me, it causes evolutions to show."

"Also, the mutations were exhausting," Kouji added. "Both Miyagami and I were unconscious for most of the time."

"What part of the illness killed Miyagami?" Ki questioned. Kouji shrugged.

"The only thing I know is that he got the medication too late. He had been infected before I was, and he'd been left in the woods for a while. No one else contracted it because we were put into quarantine so quickly, so whether it's contagious is anyone's guess."

"But it's probably transmittable by blood," Izumi reminded.

"What kind of medicine did you use?"

"Some kind of penicillin. I'm not sure. Our friend Sakiko managed to get it for us." _And not a moment too soon,_ he thought, recalling how Akagami had attempted to poison him.

"Then we'll need to work on an antibiotic," Ki realized. "All right. That's a lot you two gave me. Now, get into bed. If those mutations are as exhausting as you said, then you'll both need to be in bed the whole time. Don't be too alarmed if you have bruises on your body; it's a form of the mutations. Ariela's going to be taking care of you for the next few days, so you'll have someone around to help bring in water and whatever you and the other patients need. Come on, Gotsumon. We have to go. We'll be back in two days, hopefully."

-------  
It couldn't have been more than a few hours that he'd slept, but Kouji woke up to find he was uncomfortably hot, and even more so than usual in the blazing desert heat. In that short amount of time, his fever had shot up a good five to ten degrees, leaving him just as sick as the others.

He stood up carefully, feeling dizzy from the movement. Slowly, he made his way to the tent flap and opened it. Ariela was handing Izumi a cool washcloth.

"I'll be with you in a moment," Ariela promised. She reached over for a new cloth and discovered a small cut on her hand, only just beginning to bleed. "Izumi, drop that cloth now!" The Warrior of Wind dropped it as though it was on fire. "Now, wash your hands as fast as possible!" Again, Izumi obeyed, frightened by the frantic tone in Ariela's voice. The woman walked over and picked up the washcloth, relieved to find there was no trace of blood. _Thank God it wasn't contaminated,_ she thought, sighing in relief. "Izumi, be sure to see that your skin isn't broken in any way."

"They're clean," she answered in a rather fearful voice. "And I don't have any cuts or anything."

"Good. I'll have to get back to you two later," she replied.

"I can take care of things for a while," Kouji insisted.

"Thank you. You're an angel. I'll be back soon." And with that, she quickly head off to nurse her wound.

"I wonder what that was about," Izumi commented.

"Same here," Kouji agreed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just a little frightened by it all. Ariela's never used that kind of voice—not around us anyway."

"I know. I don't like it. I hope it doesn't mean she was infected too."

"You don't think that's actually possible?" Izumi's eyes were wide with fear.

"I don't know. But there is something wrong with her. There was a small trace of blood on her hand. I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but I've noticed that there are times when she looks weak and frail."

"Her? Weak and frail? I think the desert heat must have gotten to you."

"Remember, my senses adapted while I was in Cell 24. I can notice things others don't, or pretend not to. You saw her when Dijon first got sick. I've seen my parents and Satomi literally worried sick, but this is more than concern. She's sick—maybe even dying."

"Kouji, you're exaggerating."

"I hope so." He then saw Izumi rubbing her back. "What's wrong?"

"My back hurts. It's like something's trying to push the bones out."

Kouji placed his hands on her shoulder blades. "Here?"

"Ouch. Yes." Both began to feel very nervous. This would need to be examined. "Um, can you…"

"Nervous beyond belief" was an understatement to describe how Kouji felt as he found he needed to lift Izumi's shirt to examine her back. Fortunately for him, he was so ill that he had a very good excuse for the wave of heat and sweat washing over him, his thumping heart, and his rapid breathing. But the anxiety quickly disappeared once Kouji found several bruises lining Izumi's shoulder blades, just above her bra.

"What did you find?" she asked.

"Mutations are beginning. Wings are trying to force their way out, but they can't because the mutagen isn't strong enough. Get back in bed. I don't know how strong the mutations are going to be, but they're going to take their toll."

"What about you?"

"I have enough of an immunity to it to fight the bacterium longer than you can. I'll be a couple of stages behind you. By the time I start showing any mutations, Ki should be back with an antibiotic. You took care of me last time. Now it's my turn to take care of you."

Izumi smiled and kissed him. "Thank you."

Seeing that she indeed went back in bed, Kouji walked over to the water pump installed outside the tent. He was infinitely grateful that the Digimon in that region had been able to locate several wells and had the water pumps installed. This pump supplied water for this tent and the entire African caravan. The supply of water was finite, but there was enough to last, especially considering the rainy season was soon coming. With that assurance, Kouji had no regrets about pumping the water out and placing his head under the cool flow. He was glad Izumi had believed him when he said Ki would be back before the mutations began; he wasn't so sure if he believed it himself.

-------  
After a full day of travel, Trailmon Worm halted at the Forest Terminal and released his passengers.

"Will you wait here for us?" Ki questioned. "We need to transport the antibiotic to the caravans."

"Don't worry about it," Trailmon answered. "Captain Jen-Tai Liu of the Chiba/Beijing Resistance force gave me strict orders to remain here for transport."

"Thank you," Ki replied. He then turned to Gotsumon. "Can you sense anything around us?"

"Something's here, but it's faint. Why?"

Ki lowered his voice significantly. "Someone's been following us since we entered the forest." He pulled out his digivice, producing a tracking system.

"A digivice!" Gotsumon whispered in exclamation. "How did you get it?"

"I'm also a Chosen Child," Ki admitted. "And I was given it, although under different circumstances then Kouji or Izumi." He placed his digivice back in his pocket, knowing it was too dangerous to leave it in plain sight. "We need to find Seraphimon's castle. The Chiba/Beijing movement is waiting for us there."

"The castle is in the uppermost right branch of the largest tree here," Trailmon informed.

"Thank you," Ki replied, bowing in the traditional Japanese style. "We'll be back soon."

They began making their way through the forest, cutting past overgrown foliage as they searched through the greenery. If anything, this was worse than trying to get past the high grasses near the Gotsumon's mountain. Of course, this journey could not be made without Gotsumon's grumbling about how they were supposed to find a large tree in the forest, or Ki's occasional cursing as sharp branches scratched his bare arms or threatened to hit him in the face. But despite these misadventures, they managed to find the correct tree. The one problem was the guy they were told to meet with was waiting by a tree ten feet behind.

"I didn't want anyone to find our base," he whispered.

"I understand," Ki answered. "Someone's been following us."

"My name is Peng. I'm with the Chiba/Beijing Resistance movement."

"I'm Ki, and this is Gotsumon. Did you find an antidote?"

"Right here." Peng held up a steel case. "You'd better hurry. According to what we've been told, these patients don't have much time."

"I know," Ki replied.

"Erase Claw!"

The green-gridded, black attack shot directly for the case, quickly destroying it and the medicine inside.

"A Cyberdramon," Ki recognized. "Gotsumon, don't let that Erase Claw get any closer!"

"Angry Rock!"

"Cyber Nail!" Cyberdramon cut past the attack and quickly managed to get past Gotsumon, nicking his stone body.

"I have done my duty," the menacing Perfect stated. "That antidote will serve you no longer." And he rose into the air, leaving behind an internal wake of devastation in the knowledge that many people were about to die very soon.

"Is there any way to produce more?" Ki asked.

"Yes, but it will take a few days," Peng answered.

"Then we'd better get started," Ki decided.

-------  
Two days had passed since Ki and Gotsumon had left to get the antibiotic, and the time was taking its toll on the patients. Kouji woke up on the floor of the tent to find that even his hair hurt.

_Mutations, _he realized. Even without his Spirits of Light, he was still feeling the evolutions take place. _How did I get here?_ he asked himself, slowly sitting up. Dijon had woken up several hours earlier, asking him to get one of the Fox Leaf Arrowheads, as he wanted to place it on one of his cords of leather. Kouji had taken his knife and used the smallest blade to put a small hole in the shining leaf, and the rest of his memory was hazy after that point. He had to have passed out somewhere between placing the hole in the leaf and then.

"Dijon, I have your leaf," he said, standing in a feverish daze. But the little boy didn't answer. "Dijon?" He checked the boy's breathing. It had stopped entirely, forcing Kouji to quickly act. He headed for the tent flap. "Ariela? Anyone? Dijon needs help!"

Izumi heard this and exited her tent. She seemed ready to pass out. "What's wrong?"

"I think Dijon's dying."

The two immediately headed over to Dijon only to find they were too late. He had no pulse and wasn't breathing. Izumi quickly grabbed a mask designed for rescue breathing or CPR and began trying to get Dijon to breathe again, but it was to no avail. She tried for several minutes until Kouji finally placed his hand over hers and shook his head. Dijon Azikiwe was dead.

Mournfully, Kouji took the leaf arrowhead and threaded a cord of leather through it. He then tied it around Dijon's neck, as though performing the Last Rites. This simple action was just as meaningful and important—especially to Kouji, who had been unable to be present as the funerals of Miyagami or the boy from the slave barracks. And so they wrapped Dijon's body in his blanket and carried him to his mother, who was naturally more heartbroken than the two Chosen. His body was burned soon after, and both Kouji and Izumi were present. It was the last gift he'd given them.

When they returned to their tents, they found they had both been enveloped with an overwhelming fatigue. They each lay down and entered a seemingly endless slumber.

-------  
Tomoki and Skye had just finished with the North American caravan when they moved on to the nearby African one. A somber woman stood outside, crying.

"We were sent with ice for the patients," Skye began.

"Men are on the left, women on the right," the woman answered. "Two of our volunteers came down with the fever a few days ago, so they'll need help too if they aren't asleep."

"All right," Skye decided. "I'll take this to the women, and you take the men."

Tomoki entered to find several men and boys of all ages unconscious from fever. Those who were awake thanked him for the ice as it made their body temperatures more bearable.

After passing several empty beds, Tomoki felt more and more sorrow suffocating the hot dry air. When he finally did reach the last cot, he was relieved to see the volunteer was alive—asleep, but alive nonetheless.

The volunteer was definitely Asian without a doubt, maybe from the liberated Hong Kong by his tanned skin, but Tomoki had a feeling the blazing desert sun had more to do with the young man's golden tan than nationality did. His long dark hair was tied back with a beaded leather cord, exposing a face masked by a black eye that had been scraped and stitched, among other injuries. A white blanket had been pulled up to his neck, leading Tomoki to assume that despite his fever, the young man was freezing. Tomoki placed his hand on the volunteer's forehead to find that he was just as feverish as the others, but he could never withstand ice packs around him. First, the Warrior of Ice took a washcloth off the patient's head, and soaked the warm terrycloth in the water had had melted from the ice in the bucket. Placing the cooler washcloth on the volunteer's head, Tomoki removed his D-scanner from his pocket.

"Spirit Evolution! Chakmon!" Normally, he was self-conscious about this "chibified," or miniaturized, evolution, but in this form, he was able to freeze any substance. Carefully cupping the young man's head in his hand, he removed the pillow underneath and blew on it. "Kachikachi Kochin!" Almost instantly, it was frozen. He then replaced the pillow and devolved, not even once seeming to recognize Kouji.

_-------  
They're close by—only a day's trip away, _Cyberdramon observed, sniffing the desert air that blew his way. _And disease is with them._ Momentarily, the feral Perfect level recalled his orders. He was to kill Kouji Minamoto, by any means necessary. _It doesn't matter if Minamoto dies by fever or at his enemy's hands. But I'd better see to his death personally._

-------  
Ki and Gotsumon looked up to see Cyberdramon. 

"This isn't good," Ki realized. "Trailmon, hurry up!"

"I doubt Kouji and Izumi will be able to stand up, much less run for their lives," Gotsumon realized. "We'll need Dinohumon and Grizzmon—not to mention every Digimon in their army."

"I only hope we'll have enough time," Ki commented. It was funny how time had become so vital now—even more so than air, water, or food. True, time could not feed them, hydrate them, or fill their lungs, but it could still be the determining factor of a person's life or death. And just as there was little water in the desert, there was even less time.

-------  
Bearmon kept nudging Kouji, but the Warrior of Light didn't move.

"Ki!" he called. "I can't wake him up."

"What do we do?" his best friend and partner in crime Kotemon asked.

Ki lifted Kouji into a sitting position and held a cup of a greenish liquid to his lips. Knowing it was futile to force the medicine into his mouth, Ki held Kouji's nose. Immediately, the Kaiser's disowned brother opened his mouth to breathe, only to choke on the foul-tasting medicine. Ki carefully tipped the cup back to get the whole of it into Kouji.

"Bearmon, get your brother," Ki instructed. "We're done here."

Grizzmon came in and half-carried, half-dragged Kouji out of the tent and underground. Ki helped Kotemon and Bearmon into the underground shelter beside the well while Dinohumon carried in Izumi, who was beginning to regain consciousness. Gotsumon quickly counted everyone.

"Wait," he interrupted. "Ariela's missing!"

"She's still inside," Dinohumon informed.

"Everyone get in!" Grizzmon ordered as their brothers began climbing out to retrieve the missing woman.

"Cyberdramon's almost here!" Gotsumon observed.

"I hate saying it, but we'll have to look for Ariela later," Ki decided. "We've run out of time."

Gotsumon and the two Adults climbed into the hole, followed by Ki, who grabbed the door and tightly locked it behind him, and not a moment too soon.

"Erase Claw!"

_Caravans: temporary mobile settlements for refugees without access to the free lands_

**The blow dart is from the Mexican episode of _G Gundam, _an episode I hate so much. And this time, I brought in the Digimon from movie 7, even though it's supposed to be out of continuity.**


	14. Shiny Days, Part One

_"I wonder, how many wishes have come true?  
__How many tears have been shed?  
__The answer is still  
__Waiting in the future."  
__Sora Takenouchi—"Shiny Days"  
__(Translated by tiara)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Eleven: "Shiny Days, Part One"

It was so cool and dark in the shelter that Kouji momentarily thought he was back in Cell 24. But that monstrosity of a cell was _cold_—never _cool_. The water in the wells nearby was keeping the temperature inside bearable enough for the patients inside the shelter.

Someone opened a trapdoor above, allowing light to shine in from the dawn outside. Instinctively, Kouji squeezed his eyes more tightly shut, only to hear several voices urging him to wake up.

"You think he's okay?"

"I don't know. I hope he is."

All these voices sounded familiar. Why?

"Shh," Izumi urged Kotemon and Bearmon, who had been trying to get Kouji to open his eyes. She then leaned close to him and gently shook him until he opened his eyes. "Wake up, sweet morning light." Kouji was never one for nicknames, claiming they were embarrassing, but it was occasionally entertaining to watch him turn eight shades of red as he did now.

"Morning," he mumbled, sitting up. His head was pounding with a dull ache. Around him, the other survivors were already up, feeling healthy or close to it.

"I'm glad to see you're both awake," Ki commented, giving them each a cup of a hot liquid. They sipped it carefully to find it was green tea with just a hint of honey. Almost immediately, Kouji's headache began to dissipate as the hot drink went down.

"Thank you," he replied.

"Thank the Chiba/Beijing Resistance," Gotsumon stated. "They packed it, knowing that you'd all need something to drink when you woke up."

In a single instant, every event that had occurred with the patients replayed in their minds. Neither Legendary Warrior could look at anything other than the floor.

"What's wrong?" Ki checked, the other Chosen worried about his friends.

"Dijon died while you were gone," Kouji informed.

"I know," Ki replied, tears evident in his ice blue eyes. "And now Ariela's gone too."

"She didn't come down with it or anything, did she?" Izumi asked, fearfully remembering Kouji's warning about how sick the woman looked.

"No, she stayed inside the tent when a Cyberdramon attacked. His Erase Claw is his special technique. Nothing survives it. Data automatically gets deleted, and there's nothing left—maybe not even an egg."

"Why didn't anyone get her out?" Kouji questioned, blinking to hold back tears.

"We had no time," Dinohumon answered. "We had to get you and everyone else to safety first."

"We've searched the entire caravan," Grizzmon informed Ki.

"And?" he pressed anxiously.

"Those who had evacuations did escape," he continued. "Several people saw Ariela die in the attack."

"There was nothing left," Dinohumon added.

"Don't blame yourselves," Ki urged, looking back to see Kouji's and Izumi's crestfallen faces. "Unfortunately, she was already going to die very soon."

"What do you mean?" Kouji asked.

"Ariela was HIV-positive. She felt that she had to warn me before I left her in charge. It had become AIDS about a year ago. How she contracted it is unknown because Dijon didn't even have it. She had maybe another year to go. If she had gotten the fever, she would have died in less than two days. That's how far gone she was." Ki then turned to Dinohumon and Grizzmon. "Can you two take them to Trailmon Worm? Gotsumon and I can watch the caravan until you return."

"Can we come too?" Kotemon asked, the wish visible in his bright yellow eyes.

"Please?" Bearmon added, also trying the same technique.

"No," Grizzmon answered. "You stay here with Ki and Gotsumon. We'll be back soon."

The two Child levels turned to Dinohumon.

"Just as he said," the other Adult agreed. "Cyberdramon might still be out there, and it is too dangerous for you."

Both Kotemon and Bearmon looked hurt by this, but no amount of convincing could change their brothers' minds. Finally, Gotsumon walked up to them.

"We've got to help Ki take care of all these people," he reminded them. "We can't help take Kouji and Izumi to the Trailmon, but we can help Ki here."

"Okay!" both Digimon replied, clearly happier.

The two Chosen said their goodbyes and followed Grizzmon and Dinohumon toward Trailmon Worm. They stood on the platform of the last car, bidding farewell to the Adults.

"Head for Seraphimon's castle," Dinohumon urged. "Ki will meet you there."

"Thank you," Kouji replied. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye!" Izumi cried as their Trailmon picked up speed.

-------  
Captain Jen-Tai Liu of the Chiba/Beijing Resistance force stood in one of the towers of Seraphimon's castle, drinking a cup of hot green tea and staring at the rain. It had been pouring nonstop all day, and even the adaptive Chinese Resistance fighter was getting sick of it.

"Still pouring?" asked Tori Amano of the Japanese half of this Resistance movement.

"I doubt it will let up by morning," the nearly fifty-year-old Liu answered.

"Should I replace Tai and Peng?" Tori questioned.

"Yes. Peng already took some time off after that incident with the Cyberdramon, so now it's Taiyou's turn to rest." He then squinted as he stared into the gray haze of rain. "And expect visitors."

Tori looked out the window. Outside were two travelers almost at their gates. "Do you think they're friends or enemies?"

"I don't know, but it's better to be safe than sorry. If they're on our side, we'll apologize, but for now detain them for questioning."

-------  
After slipping along the tree branch leading to the castle, Kouji and Izumi were roughly escorted by several Resistance fighters inside.

"Hey! We're with the Resistance too!" Izumi argued.

"Better not argue with them," Kouji reasoned. "We're outmatched and outgunned here. We might as well put up with this for now."

"A smart one," one of the fighters observed. "Now, get moving."

They were placed in a small room that had been converted into a holding cell. At the tops of the crystal walls were security cameras, probably backed by lasers. They were under constant surveillance, and without any method of escape.

"So much for a warm reception," Izumi commented. She sat down on the floor next to Kouji, who was not at all comfortable with their situations. "I guess you don't really like being locked up, do you?"

"No one does," he replied. "But isolation's even worse. When no one's around to help you, that's when it's the most dangerous."

The morning after the rise of Kouichi as the Kaiser, Kouji prayed for it to have been only a dream. But the bitter harshness of reality set in as he found himself in a nightmare he couldn't wake from. Icicles hung from the ceiling of the cell, dripping cold water onto him as they melted. He found a box of waterproof matches and lit a candle so he could get a good idea of the glorified dungeon that was to be his home for the next five months. The walls were made of smooth gray stone: cold and hard. For several meters along the back wall was a thin air vent to allow circulation, the diameter of which was barely equal to that of Kouji's index finger. In the far corner was a small establishment serving as the bathroom. All it contained were a steel latrine, a sixty-centimeter deep steel bathtub kept off the floor by two stacked twenty-centimeter gray bricks (two sets on either side), and a faucet (steel again) with a sink placed under it. The sink was no more than a fourteen-centimeter-deep steel bedpan intended for vomit. Kouji moved the "sink" to find a small drain hole—8.5 centimeters in diameter. Beside the latrine was a roll of toilet paper, which would have to be conserved, along with the bars—no, round cakes—of soap next to the bath. A white towel lay on the floor, and Kouji suspected that it too would soon become gray. He seemed to have the only color in the entire cell.

He tried the faucet and found the pipes to be frozen from the sudden snowstorm the night before. It didn't matter because he had an unshakable feeling that there was no hot water anyway. But his throat was sore and parched from the events of the previous day, so he was forced to remove the heavy bathtub from its perch on the bricks and overturn it, allowing him to just reach the ceiling and break off an icicle. He sat down, bit down on the icicle, and sucked on the cold water as it made its way down, burning at his dry and scratched throat. But as painful as it was, nothing had felt better. The ice cooled the painful blisters on his hands as he held it, waiting for one mouthful of ice to melt so he could take in more. Finally, when his "breakfast" was over, he returned the tub to its upright position on the bricks.

Kouichi walked into the cell unexpectedly. With him was a blonde mercenary.

"Reiyama, grab him."

The mercenary, Reiyama, grabbed Kouji's broken left arm and pulled him to Kouichi. The boy dictator sealed two halves of a Black Ring around his brother's neck, causing it to blink as it flared to life. Reiyama released his grip on the injured boy's arm while Kouichi held out his D-scanner.

"Now. Evolve!"

The clothes ripped away from Kouji's body as his skin became translucent, revealing a blue light. An egg of DigiCode surrounded him, suspending him in midair as he was forced to become Garmmon. But the pain was too much. In the Digital World, when he was in better condition, it was painful enough; but here, when he was injured, the evolution was unbearable. His body had almost gone through a complete transformation when his vitals began to deteriorate, forcing him to devolve. The DigiCode broke down around him as he fell to the floor. His brother stared at him in disgust. Never before had Kouji experienced anything more degrading than this.

Reiyama yanked him up into a sitting position. He held a syringe one-quarter of the way filled with a blue foam, and injected it into Kouji's arm, eventually numbing the pain from the evolution. His breathing and heart rate slowly returned to normal as Kouichi stepped forward.

"That was a non-addictive drug designed to act the way an opiate would: numbing pain and, in higher amounts, inducing sleep. It's experimental, but it appears to work. Now, do it again."

The Black Ring flashed in unison with the screen on Kouichi's D-scanner. The DigiCode egg formed around Kouji again, causing him to hover over the floor once more. The pain of the evolution was gone, and he found he was just as calm as he'd be with his H-Spirit.

_Is this how it has to be? Am I only his slave, a Digimon and nothing more? _he asked himself_. If so, then why did so many people think otherwise?_ Images of everyone he'd ever cared about flashed through his mind. He couldn't let them down.

"Now, Garmmon, show yourself," Kouichi ordered.

_No_, Kouji thought, forcing his four legs to become human limbs again_. I am not Garmmon, or Wolfmon, or any one of my evolutions. I am _not_ your slave. I am Kouji. And whether I'm your brother or not, it's something you're going to have to live with._

The DigiCode around him exploded with the force of resistance. Exhausted, he collapsed, the stone floor cold against his skin. Just as after his last devolution, it took some time for his clothes to appear on his body, but it didn't matter. Kouichi exited the cell in defeat, taking his shadow with him. Kouji had won his first victory against the Kaiser, and because of that, he smiled as he closed his eyes. So far it was 2:1, with Kouichi in the lead, but he could still catch up. After all, he was going to be in there for a long time; why not make the most of it?

"I'm sorry," Izumi apologized after hearing his story. "I never realized exactly what you went through. And you faced that everyday?"

Kouji nodded. "Everyday for two or three weeks. Keeping track of time was hard in there. But after those first few weeks, he began threatening me to evolve. From then on, I did as he said. As a reward, he returned my D-scanner. With my family's life in danger, I couldn't refuse."

"I can imagine."

A young woman with short black hair stepped in for a second.

"Rest here for the night," she offered. "In the morning, we hope to ask you a few questions."

"Why not get it over with now?" Kouji asked.

"I am not at liberty to discuss it at this point. Have a good night." She then walked out and locked the door.

"With the way she was talking, you'd think we were being invited to stay here, and not forced to," Izumi noticed.

"It doesn't matter," Kouji replied. "Let's just rest for now. Maybe tomorrow we can get some answers as well."

-------  
Tori walked up to Liu.

"Did you inform them?" he checked.

"Yes," she answered. "They're going to rest for the night, and the cameras are on them nonstop. There's no way for them to reach the cameras and turn them off, and Tai will notice if anyone tries to tamper with them or escape."

"Keep watch just in case," Liu warned. "I have a feeling they are more than what they appear to be."

-------  
Ki cautiously walked through the forest, being sure to pass the tree harboring the castle. Cyberdramon had been following him closely since he'd left the desert. He had to lead the creature away.

_So much for meeting up with the others, _he thought. _I'd try and contact them, but I'd just inform Cyberdramon to their location. They'll have to do this without me._

But what he didn't notice was that after several twists and turns down a treacherous path, Cyberdramon had given up chasing him and changed his direction entirely: to where he smelled the two Legendary Warriors.

-------  
Liu opened the door to the holding cell to find both warriors asleep: Izumi with her head against Kouji's right shoulder, and him with his head against hers. They'd been that way the whole night, too tired after their journey to leave that position. But despite how tired they were, the sound of the door was enough to wake them up.

"I need the boy," Liu requested. Kouji stood up and followed him out the door. When they reached the interrogation chamber, Liu ushered Kouji to sit.

"Name?"

"Kouji Minamoto."

"What was that? I'm getting old, and my hearing isn't very good."

He tried a little louder, nearly straining his voice with the effort. "Kouji Minamoto."

"Can you speak any louder?"

"No. Vocal cord damage. And I've been sick."

"All right. Taiyou, Tori, I need both of you to cut off all sound in here—even the mikes."

"Yes, sir," answered a woman's voice. Feedback played from the microphones, nearly causing Kouji's eardrums to bleed.

"All right. We'll try again. Name?"

"Kouji Minamoto." He tried speaking a little louder again, but didn't push himself too far.

"I can hear you a little better this time. Age?"

"Fifteen, almost."

"Where are you from?"

"Japan. Yokohama, but I live in the Tokyo area."

"Where are you headed?"

"To find the Fuji Resistance."

"Any particular reason?"

"They're friends of ours."

"How did you get hurt so badly?"

"A fight with a Gotsumon."

"Why did it attack you?"

"The Kaiser was controlling him."

"I don't think you understand. Why was it attacking _you_?"

"The Kaiser's after me."

"Why?"

"I'm a fugitive from his slave camp."

Liu stood up. "The Kaiser usually doesn't care much about escaped slaves—even the political prisoners. What makes you so special that he has to see to your return personally?" Kouji remained silent. "Well?"

"I'd rather not say. You wouldn't believe me."

Slightly aggravated, Liu went to the door and knocked. A blonde woman opened the door. He gave her a couple of orders, and she turned to someone behind her. Soon, Izumi was allowed in, and she was questioned in the same fashion.

"Name?"

"Izumi Orimoto."

"Age?"

"Fifteen."

"Where are you from?"

"Tokyo, Japan. Around Mt. Fuji."

"Where are you headed?"

"We're looking for our friends in the Fuji Resistance."

"Is the Kaiser after you too?"

"Yes, but he doesn't have quite as much of an interest in me."

"Why not?"

"I don't know for sure."

"Why do I have the feeling you're lying?" Like Kouji, Izumi was silent. Liu brought his fingers to an earpiece and microphone he was wearing. "Taiyou, bring them in."

The blonde woman opened the door to allow in three Digimon. She and the shorthaired woman stood at the door to prevent escape.

"Bokomon? Neemon? Patamon?" Kouji was the first to speak.

"Kouji, is that you?" Bokomon asked. "But we heard Kouichi had killed you."

"How can he be here if he's dead?" Neemon questioned stupidly, earning himself a snap in the pants. The women by the door rolled their eyes, Liu shook his head in utter disgust, and Izumi and Kouji both had expressions of unwelcome nostalgia on their faces at this.

Patamon ignored all this and dive-bombed Kouji immediately, pleased to see the Chosen of Light once more. Of all the Legendary Warriors, Kouji was his favorite, even if the boy was hard to become friends with. But the former Great Angel's expression soon changed as he felt the lack of power from the young man. "What happened to your Spirits?"

"The power was stolen from them," Kouji answered.

"Kouichi must have used a DigiCode scan on you during a fight," Bokomon theorized.

"So who exactly are these two anyway?" the blonde woman questioned. Before either Chosen could speak, Bokomon already had introductions set:

"Meet the Legendary Warriors of Light and Wind: Kouji Minamoto and Izumi Orimoto."

"What?" the woman asked, stepping away from her post and toward the teenagers. "Kouji Minamoto? Him?" A burning hatred filled her as she walked up to Kouji and punched him in the jaw. The force of the blow sent him to the crystal floor. He could taste blood on his teeth—a bad sign. His teeth were coated with it. He traced the blood to a cut on the inside of his mouth.

"Taiyou, what did you do that for?" the other woman asked.

"Tenshi, you'd better explain yourself," Liu warned, using her surname instead.

"Tenshi?" Izumi questioned. "Are you related to Kage?"

"He's my younger brother. And Dr. Tadaaki Tenshi was our father. Does the name ring a bell, Kouji Minamoto?" He stared at her, confused. "I guess it would be too much for the great warrior to remember the man who saved his life." His expression changed from confusion to shock, but she didn't seem to care. She reached down and grabbed him by his hair just as Renamon would, pulling him to his feet.

"Taiyou, stop it," the other woman pleaded. "If they're friends of Kage's, then he obviously knows who Kouji is. If he can trust him, why can't you?"

"Kage's always been forgiving, Tori," Taiyou replied, spitting her words out in anger. "Just because he trusts somebody doesn't mean I do." She then turned to Kouji. "I want to know how many people would react if they knew you were the one responsible for the other Two. If anything, you're worse than your brother." Kouji was silent. "Have nothing to say for your defense? It's true, and you know it."

"Taiyou, stop it!" the younger woman, Tori, interrupted.

"This is not a tribunal," Liu reasoned. "You have no right to decide the guilt of someone you refuse to know."

"Liu, I've been suffering for three whole years, knowing the identity of the only person who could possibly be responsible," Taiyou answered, "and you're telling me not to pass judgment?"

"Kouji, maybe we should go," Izumi suggested.

"You were looking for the D.C./Fuji Resistance, right?" Liu remembered.

"They were here a few weeks ago," Tori informed. "They were heading east. They shouldn't be too far away."

"It's July 27 today," Liu calculated, "so you should reach their current location by the first or second week of August."

"Thank you," Kouji replied, bowing in respect and gratitude. Liu returned the bow, but in the Chinese fashion: fist-in-hand. "Come on, Izumi. If we're lucky, we'll run into Ki along the way."

-------  
A fresh scent entered Cyberdramon's nostrils, leading him to the right direction.

_They're here, _he realized. _Their scent is weak, but I can still make it out. They've been dry for long enough a time. _He sniffed again. _Resistance fighters… This is turning out better than I planned._

-------  
Kouji and Izumi fought their way through the wet forest, the rain being made even worse by the trees, which were releasing large drops of water on them.

"I don't know why Taiyou was treating you like that," Izumi commented. "She was acting like your description of that Renamon, and there's no reason for it. You didn't even know Kage until you got sick that time."

"I didn't know them, but I think I knew their father." Izumi looked at him in confusion. "Remember around last year, after a huge battle, Kouri couldn't fall asleep because she was scared I was going to die? I told her how she, Satomi, Mom, and Dad were placed in Cell 24."

"I don't think I was there."

"You were."

"Then I was half-asleep at the time. Why do you ask?"

"Well, that wasn't even half of the story."

Over a month had passed since the fight on the beach, and Kouichi still seemed to be winning. The score had to be at 52:21, with Kouji losing more and more each day. He had only had water or ice, and the consequences were beginning to show as he slowly began weakening. His body had become thin and brittle, and his bones were very easy to break. It had been said that when a person's diet reached below fifteen hundred calories, that person would lose the capacity for all emotions. Kouji hadn't been getting any calories whatsoever, but his emotions remained. He just didn't have the capacity to show them. But that wasn't his only problem. He was forced to sleep during the day and work during the night, so the only light he ever saw came from candles, lanterns, stars, the moon, and streetlights—if he was lucky. Sometimes, cloud cover blocked the light from the stars and moon, and there were times that Kouichi ordered for the streetlights to be turned off, just so he could torment Kouji some more. It was a bit hurtful for him not to be able to see the source of his name. Most of the time, he was forced to pick up battle litter in the most deserted of places. Renamon or Reiyama usually "escorted" him, making his life even more of a living hell. But this time, however, something was different. Kouji was allowed to work on his own, in human form. But after all this time, he'd learned to be wary of gifts, remembering even back from his Digital World days that these gifts could be no more than a trap. So he listened carefully as he gathered discarded weapons and landmines, being sure not to set anything—or anyone—off.

"What about that boy there?" a deep, unfamiliar voice asked.

"Him?" Kouichi questioned. They were speaking quietly, but not quietly enough for Kouji not to hear. "He's a troublemaker."

"How so?"

"Antisocial—and by this, I mean he has no respect for authority. No one can work with him. Even my own Guard can't control him. He's also antisocial by laymen's terms, as in he's very much a lone wolf." There was the sound of a crash as Kouji dropped an assault rifle onto the ground—his only way of expressing his anger. He was getting sick and tired of this and other puns. While other slaves thought it was hilarious, he was getting all around annoyed at all of the wolf or dog related jokes at his expense.

"Is that all?" the other questioned.

"No. He's emotionally unstable—I suspect he might even be suicidal judging by the injuries he self-inflicts." Just by the slight raise in the level of his voice, Kouichi was signaling him that he was not going to let him forget how he and Izumi had suspected the now Kaiser might have been suicidal. "I have to keep him locked up in his own cell, or he can be too unpredictable. And I have him work at night when it's easier to keep an eye on him." He paused to listen and smirked slightly. There was no sound of resentment from Kouji. Just as proved by the Nazis and their treatment of the Jews and other minorities in their concentration camps, the boy didn't even have the strength to become angry.

_That's what you think_, Kouji thought, being sure to keep his emotions in check. Perhaps the reason why the prisoners in the Nazi concentration camps had not seemed to be showing any emotion was because they were keeping all that emotion inside to keep them going, just as Kouji was. But that was really the only thing that kept him moving. Starvation had taken a lot out of him to the point that he was dying. And if not for the bitter cold of winter or the red burning flames of anger, he would have passed out right there.

"I'd like to try and evaluate his injuries," the deep voice decided. "But I'll need to take him further into Chiba, where my office is."

"All right," Kouichi agreed. "I'll let him know."

"I'll bring my car up here."

Kouichi walked up to Kouji and placed his black-and-gray D-scanner on the Black Ring—ironically, right at the back of Kouji's neck. A flash of dark power burst out, filling all of Kouji's muscles with a numb cold. Even his heart and lungs seemed to be operating under Kouichi's orders. It was like being dead, but at the same time having a fully functional mind and body. Kouji couldn't move at all; he couldn't even ask what Kouichi had done to him.

"Is the boy ready to go?" the deep voice asked from the driver's seat of his old model Toyota Corolla.

"Almost," Kouichi answered in a benevolent voice (if such a voice was even possible from the Digimon Kaiser). But the tone he used to hiss in Kouji's ear was much more different from the mock concern he'd been showing before. "Get in his car, and don't even try moving. The second you even try to escape, that Black Ring will reactivate even more powerful that before. Here is an example." Kouichi held him still and pressed a button on the digivice. Every vital muscle in Kouji's body suddenly stopped. His vision faded to nothing as his heart stopped beating and his lungs quit functioning. But after a couple of seconds, everything restarted as if normal, causing panic to sweep through Kouji's mind. This was a complete invasion of privacy. It was far too easy for Kouichi to control all of his body functions while he could do nothing more than die. "I probably won't do that, but I will do something far worse. I might not be able to control you, but I can paralyze you so you can watch your family suffer." A fresh wave of terror washed over Kouji. He couldn't let that happen. "Tell me if you comply."

"Yes," Kouji replied, the numbness momentarily leaving his vocal chords. The sound of his own voice startled him. He hadn't spoken since the night of the fire, and he hadn't realized how weak his voice was even now.

"Then get inside," Kouichi hissed once more. The feeling returned to Kouji's legs and he slowly walked to the car. The front passenger door was opened for him and he got in.

"Put your seatbelt on," the driver with the deep voice—Dr. Tadaaki Tenshi—instructed. Silently, Kouji obeyed. He had to rely on his sense of touch for everything, as his eyes seemed to be permanently transfixed on the road ahead.

Dr. Tenshi was a tall man with the same dark brown hair as his son and the same cerulean eyes as both of his children, and he was far from cruel. He tossed away the fact that Kouji was a supposedly dangerous criminal and treated him as one of his own children. He tried unsuccessfully to strike up a conversation with him, admitting that he was secretly a Resistance fighter as well, but he was forced to abandon his idea when the young man next to him remained silent. To him, it was unsurprising that he wouldn't speak out of distrust of outsiders, but as brilliant as he was, he could never be further from the truth.

Soon streetlights summoned forth city lights, making Kouji's eyes water in pain from the intensity of the electricity. Dr. Tenshi observed what was wrong with Kouji and reached for a pair of sunglasses from his glove compartment. "Put these on," he offered. "I suppose you've become nocturnal after all this time." At a red light, he removed a box of sandwiches from the backseat. "And I suppose you're probably hungry after all that work you did." He held out one of the sandwiches. "Go ahead. Eat it."

Because the offer was close enough to an order, the cold left Kouji's arms, allowing him to take the sandwich. He bit off one corner of it and chewed carefully—not what would be expected from someone who'd been starved. For someone who had been a prisoner for such a long time, he was showing more manners than even the doctor's own children. After several minutes, the whole sandwich was gone and Kouji's body turned to stone once more.

The car stopped at the doctor's office in Chiba. Dr. Tenshi exited the vehicle while Kouji remained frozen in his seat.

"What are you waiting for?" Dr. Tenshi asked. "Get out." Again, Kouji obeyed, but he was unaware of the low doorframe and whacked his head on it, hard. But even though a large red mark had appeared on his forehead, yielding to a bruise, the boy showed no sign that he'd even felt it. "Come inside," the doctor ordered, mystified by what had just happened.

No one was inside the office, so Dr. Tenshi was free to work in private. He examined Kouji's injuries, wondering how the boy could have possibly caused so many wounds on his own. It made no sense to him how anyone so thin and fragile could withstand this many injuries, and still continue inflicting them on himself. Most people who inflicted self-injuries knew their limits, but this patient seemed to go way beyond his. He finally instructed Kouji to reach toward some of the injuries, but the young slave could not reach them. Perplexed, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Step outside the room for a minute," he instructed. "I need to make a call."

Kouji did as ordered, but he couldn't move past the outside of the door. Even through the wood of the door, he could make out the doctor's voice as the call began.

"Nari, I've been thinking about what you've been arguing. I have the feeling that you might be right. I have a medical report on a boy I've just examined, and you will want to see it. Well, this boy is one of the Kaiser's prisoners. Yes, that one that keeps the Resistance fighters. This boy was said to self-inflict injuries, but many of the wounds I've observed are far out of his reach. And he's very thin—I don't think he's been eating. I want to examine his cell tomorrow, and I'll try and slip photos to you. Yes, I'll try and get the boy out tomorrow. If we're lucky, we can help him escape. I don't like what I've seen. Yes, I'll meet you tomorrow afternoon. Goodbye." He hung up the phone and saw Kouji standing outside the door. "You were polite earlier on, but listening in on phone conversations is not only rude, but an invasion of privacy. Now, back in the car."

They walked out to the Corolla, and Kouji opened the door to get in. Dr. Tenshi was already inside, and watched Kouji hit his head on the doorframe again. Only this time, the doctor was close enough to hear a strangled sound from the boy's throat and a sharp intake of breath.

"Have you grown so accustomed to being a prisoner that you are no longer human? Or is that ring controlling your actions?" Kouji didn't know if the question was just stupid or rhetorical. But then the question became an order. "Tell me if that ring is controlling your actions."

"Yes. It is." His voice was very soft, but audible enough.

"Explain what it's doing."

"It's numbing my muscles so I can't move unless I'm given permission."

"Tell me why you let the Kaiser do this."

"He has my family, and he'll kill them if I don't obey him."

Dr. Tenshi shook his head in disgust. There was no way he could rescue Kouji without rescuing his family too. "And judging by all the injuries you've sustained, I wouldn't be surprised if he did just that."

When they arrived back at the base, Kouichi placed the D-scanner at the back of his brother's neck, neutralizing the paralysis. Tired, and with a headache that caused his vision to pulse, Kouji walked off to his cell, but not without grabbing a fistful of snow to place on his bruised forehead.

_Statistic from _Alas, Babylon_ by Pat Frank. Complemented by information from _Night_ by Elie Wiesel_

**The description of Cell 24 is what I never really got to tell anyone in "In the Blue" and "Atarashii Taiyou." That thing about the paralyzed muscles and Kouichi controlling Kouji's breathing and heartbeat were from _A Wrinkle in Time_, the icicle thing was straight out of _A Swiftly Tilting Planet_ (where Charles Wallace sucks on one to relieve similar symptoms), and the idea about Dr. Tenshi planning to rescue Kouji was straight out of _The Pretender_ once more. I apologize for all of the flashbacks, but it's necessary to understand the characters and their motivation. And as for the name Nari...look back into previous chapters to see if it rings a bell.**


	15. Shiny Days, Part Two

_"I wonder, how many wishes have come true?  
__How many tears have been shed?  
__The answer is still  
__Waiting in the future."  
__Sora Takenouchi—"Shiny Days"  
__(Translated by tiara)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Eleven: "Shiny Days, Part Two"

Izumi looked at Kouji in shock for several minutes. The downpour of the morning let up a little to a gentle shower, but they were still getting soaked. Realizing his only answer was going to be complete silence, Kouji continued walking along the path, eventually hearing footsteps from behind as Izumi splashed through the puddles to reach him.

"That wasn't all that happened, was it?" she questioned.

"No," he answered. He momentarily stopped and turned around to face her. "Izumi, what I'm about to tell you, I haven't told anyone—not even Kouri. Only Mom, Dad, and Satomi know because they had to, and it was Dr. Tenshi who told them—I didn't. I want you to keep that in mind."

"What are you talking about?"

He began walking again. "When you were bandaging my wounds that time, did you happen to notice any scars on me?"

"There were a few, but they were hard to make out because of all the bruises and cuts. Why?"

He sighed, realizing that he could not make this any easier. If she hadn't seen them, then he had to show them to her. He held out his hands to her, palm side up. For a moment, she stared at his hands in puzzlement, but soon she was able to see faint white scars on his wrists and the lower part of his palms. These scars were not simple slash wounds that hadn't entirely healed, but deep, violent hack marks that would never have been able to heal correctly.

"How did you get those?" she asked, bewildered. He sighed again and began the second part of his story:

He woke up to a splitting headache sometime at twilight of the day after meeting Dr. Tenshi. He rose into a kneeling position, finding he'd been lying in some sticky liquid. He didn't know why, but his shirt, jacket, and bandana were missing, as well as the three lanterns he'd filled with Fox Leaf Arrowheads. And how he'd ended up lying in the middle of the cell instead of in a sitting position in a dry corner was something else unaccounted for.

He stood up, only to fall right down again due to dizziness and a slight weakness in his legs. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, and the already cold temperature in the room had seemed to drop significantly. Carefully, he rose again, trying not to slip on the liquid as his shoes sloshed through it. He'd gotten used to Kouichi hiding his things under a veil of darkness, so he began feeling for his light source. When he heard a crunching sound underneath his left foot, he got down on his knees and began searching for scattered arrowheads. Eventually, all the arrowheads were gathered, and they led to the hidden lanterns—one of which was obviously broken. He held out his digivice to the darkness and allowed the tiniest beam of light to exit, shattering the shadows. But by the combined light of the three lanterns, he found that his whole upper body and the right side of his face were covered in his own blood, and there was a large puddle of it where he'd been lying. His serene complex a thing of the past, he frantically checked for the source of the blood: hacked blade marks in both of his wrists.

Immediately, he grabbed a handful of arrowheads and ran to the sink, turning on the faucet and running his wrists under the cold water. The warmer he was, the faster the bleeding would be, so he had to lower his body temperature or at least his wrists' temperature. How he'd known that, he'd never know. He'd been bleeding for several hours, allowing enough time for his blood to start clotting, but he still needed to cut off the flow. After drying his wrists with toilet paper, he removed his sneakers and used his socks as bandages to halt it. Next, he grabbed the soap and began washing the blood off his body, removing his hair tie so he could wash his hair more easily. Blood was so thickly matted in it that he had to scrub roughly in order to clean it out.

Once that was finished, he fought to regain his composure so he could think of what to do next. A loss of blood meant a loss of oxygen. He had to stay calm and keep breathing. There was no point in asking Kouichi to keep him inside; it was obvious that the young Kaiser had taken his own blade to slit Kouji's wrists, so he wouldn't waste his victory on his twin brother. He had to find some way of sustaining himself until dawn at the most. So he stuck his head under the faucet, taking a long drink of water. In Cell 24, that method was the most sanitary way of getting a drink as he had no cups and his hands had been bleeding for about twelve hours. But as he drank the cold water, he didn't hear the door hiss open or Kouichi and Reiyama walk up right behind him.

Kouichi shoved Kouji down, keeping his head under the running water and pressing his foot on the younger twin's back. Kouji then felt someone grab his wet hair. He faintly remembered shouting for his brother to let go and get his foot off, but Reiyama kicked his ribs, forcing him to be silent. Using the blade from his whip, Kouichi hacked away at his brother's hair, severing ties of their past as allied brothers just as the ancient emperors of Japan had done to cut away their childhoods back in the days of their rule. Finally, he was finished and Kouji sat up, coughing as he tried to breathe. Kouichi tossed the missing shirt, jacket, and bandana at him while Reiyama stared menacingly.

"Get dressed," the older twin ordered. "We'll be back for your evolution." As he walked away, Reiyama snorted and spat on Kouji's head before leaving, slamming the door behind him.

Kouji calmly placed his clothes aside and placed his head under the water again, now trying to remove the saliva and mucus. Never before had he used that much soap to wash any part of him, including his hair. Turning off the water, he dried off with the (now gray, as he'd predicted) towel and rinsed the blood off one of the sharp arrowheads with the water on the floor. With it, he began to saw away at the uneven ends of his hair, cleaning up the job Kouichi had performed. If there were any ties to sever, Kouji was cutting them himself, just as the boy emperors of old. No longer could he let Kouichi decide his fate, and yet he was not angry about anything that had happened.

It was then that he realized that even in the Digital World, no matter how mature he'd acted, he'd been nothing more than a child, a weak child who let his anger provoke him. He was never going to let that happen again. The next time he fought, it would be under _his_ rules, not Kouichi's. The ties to childhood, to the weak child who had mysteriously managed to help defeat Cherubimon and Lucemon, were gone and lying on the floor as useless garbage. Unofficially, Kouji was a man now, a grown adult. And with that sudden maturity, everything seemed to be a lot clearer. He'd come to a decision that day, the first of many: Reiyama was, if possible, _worse_ than Renamon.

-------  
Even in Wolfmon's form, Kouji couldn't fight the shaking in his muscles as they screamed for oxygen. Whatever blood he had left wasn't enough to deliver oxygen to all of his muscles, and a slow suffocation was overtaking him. Now that he was in their place, he wondered what it was that killed other people who'd lost a great deal of blood; was it the blood loss itself, or was it the lack of oxygen? His Black Ring continually beeped, as if to inform the world about his vitals.

"Keep walking," Renamon ordered. "This area's empty." She then observed his lethargic, uncoordinated movements. "It hasn't even been an hour. Keep moving." He paused momentarily, feeling as though if he didn't get enough air, he would die. But Renamon didn't see it that way. "I said keep moving! Wisteria Punch!"

Both of her fists struck him over and over, making his death seem more and more inevitable. With one good blow to the face, he hit the ground, striving to maintain consciousness. She grabbed the back of his head—by the hair as was her signature—and felt the silver helmet fall off his head. Turning him around to face her, she was able to see his adult-like face, even in the darkness. Blood was running down his face from a broken vessel in his nose. His blond hair was plastered to his scalp with sweat, even though temperatures were just above freezing. He looked weak, but he didn't look scared at all, not this time around. Showing his fear of death was something the old Kouji would do, not the reborn one. He simply tried to keep breathing, even though he coughed a few times, causing some of the precious blood to spill from his nose, and stared back at her.

"How does it feel to be the one without an advantage?" she asked, releasing his head and causing him to fall on his back. "Get up. You're not hurt." But he didn't. He didn't move in any way. Briefly, his breathing stopped, and then started with a deep gasp, as though he was forcing himself to breathe. Actually concerned, she turned and shouted, "Kaiser!"

Dr. Tenshi had just begun to try and convince Kouichi to allow Kouji time to leave for an "examination" when Renamon teleported in to interrupt them.

"Kaiser, Wolfmon is lying on the sidewalk next to the library, and he doesn't appear to be moving," she alerted.

Immediately, all the workers on the nightshift dropped what they were doing and ran to help their hero. In the midst of the human and Digimon stampede, Kouichi whistled for an Airdramon, allowing himself to cut everyone off at the pass while Dr. Tenshi pushed his way through to the injured Digimon.

Prepared to treat a Digimon, he was surprised to see a young human lying on his back as if dead. It took a while, but (thanks in part to the Black Ring) he finally recognized Kouji, even with the dramatic haircut. Kouichi got down and handed over a large Japanese flag, and the doctor placed it over Kouji, the red sun covering most of his body.

"I need to get him to a hospital," Dr. Tenshi informed quietly. "But the doctors won't treat prisoners. Is there anyway you can remove that ring from his neck?"

"All right," Kouichi complied, not entirely happy with the concept. It had to be done, even if he hated the boy entirely as he did. He'd never actually intended to kill Kouji, not after the incident on the beach, but he had underestimated the Kaiser's power over him once more. The Black Ring was carefully removed from the dying slave's neck and held for safekeeping. With everything taken care of, Dr. Tenshi scooped up Kouji (and just as Kage, he was surprised by how little effort it took) and placed him over his shoulder, keeping him wrapped in the flag. Other slaves tried to get a glimpse of their hero's face, but Kouichi and the Imperial Guard made them think otherwise.

Carefully, Kouji was placed in the back of Dr. Tenshi's car. The doctor got in the driver's seat and drove off.

"Kid, don't pass out," he warned. "So I know you're awake, I want you to answer all my questions, okay?"

"Okay…"

"What's your name?"

"Kouji… Kouji Minamoto."

"How old are you?"

"Eleven. Almost twelve."

"How are you able to become a Digimon?"

"I have the Spirits of Light, opposite to Kou—the Kaiser's Spirits of Darkness. He uses his digivice to force me to evolve."

"You mentioned your family last night. Can you name them?"

"My dad Kousei, my mom Tomoko, my stepmother Satomi, my half-sister Kouri…and my brother Kouichi." It sounded to Tenshi that Kouji needed to think about the last one for a while before answering, almost as though he wasn't sure.

"Why did you pass out back there?"

"The Kaiser slit my wrists."

"How long were you bleeding?"

"I don't know. I woke up in a pool of blood."

"How is it that you couldn't feel the Kaiser cutting you?"

"Some time after I went back into my cell, he came in and injected some blue foam into my arm."

"A blue foam? Like a serum of some kind?"

"Yes. He injected me with it once. He said it was non-addictive and was like an opiate. The first time, it only numbed my pain from evolving, but this time he used a whole syringe full, so I was unconscious the whole day."

"That blue foam was an experimental animal tranquilizer," the doctor informed with a rather angry voice. "I saw it in the Kaiser's study. He explained that he needed it to tame an unruly animal." Kouji's face grew hot with anger at the knowledge that his own brother thought of him as no more than an animal. Those ties to the past really had been severed. Hearing the silence, the doctor continued. "What's your blood type?"

"I don't know. I think A, maybe."

"Haven't you ever needed the information?"

"Not that I know of. My family sometimes kept secrets from me; I guess my blood type was one of them. But I know I have the same blood type as the Kaiser, if it helps."

"How sure are you on that?"

"Very sure."

"When's the last time you ate, aside from yesterday?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"I noticed how thin you were yesterday, and you were too light for someone your age when I lifted you."

"What day is it?"

"Sunday, the sixteenth."

"What month?"

"February."

"I last ate on the fourth of January."

"That long ago?" Dr. Tenshi was furious. Inside the flag, Kouji winced at the raise in the man's voice as it echoed in his eardrums. The doctor pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car, pulling the flag down to reveal Kouji's face. "Drink this," he instructed, handing over a bottle of soda. "I know I shouldn't be giving you sugar when you haven't been eating in days, but hopefully enough glucose can be produced to keep you going until we reach the hospital."

Kouji's hands shook as he took the bottle and sat up. The sweet, fizzy liquid made him feel sick as it entered his stomach. As the car drove on, he finished the soda and lay back down, resisting the urge to vomit.

The car suddenly stopped in front of the emergency room of the hospital. Dr. Tenshi carried Kouji out of the car and practically ran inside the E.R., startling several attendants as he took command. No one asked why the boy was draped in a flag; they must have assumed he'd been caught off-guard that night, perhaps by the Resistance.

"He needs a transfusion now," Dr. Tenshi explained once they'd gotten to the trauma unit.

"Should we use Type O?" an attendant asked.

"No. I believe his records are here somewhere," Dr. Tenshi replied. "Allow me to search for them."

"All right," another doctor agreed finally. "We'll try and keep him stable for now."

"Be sure to feed him," Dr. Tenshi instructed. "He hasn't had anything to eat all day."

"Anything else?" the other doctor checked.

Tenshi was silent for a moment. There were so many things that were wrong with the boy that he didn't know where to begin. But it dawned on him that in the two times they'd met, Kouji had been speaking in a low voice.

"Yes," he finally answered. "Examine his throat and vocal cords. I suspect strain or damage."

Chaos seemed to overtake the E.R. that night. Kouji's clothes were removed to be washed and sewn, and he was placed in a hospital gown. His bloodstained socks were thrown away and his wrists properly bandaged. The correct blood type was found, and the transfusion commenced immediately. But the surroundings were beginning to take their toll on him as he kept squinting and trying to block out the various noises that found their way to his sensitive ears. Everyone around him tried to force him to eat, but when he tried, he was unable to keep anything down. After an hour of the same results, the other doctors and nurses gave up, leaving Dr. Tenshi to figure out this patient's problems on his own.

Remembering how Kouji had needed sunglasses the night before, the doctor turned off all the lights in the room. Light was allowed to enter from the hall, but that was it. Already, the young patient was heard breathing a little more easily, although a weak, pathetic, yet body-shaking cough occasionally escaped him.

"Calm down," Dr. Tenshi coaxed. "I've taken care of everything."

"I'm a lot calmer right now," Kouji answered.

"How up-to-date are you on your vaccinations?" the doctor asked.

"I think I last had them before third grade. Why?"

"I might as well give you them now. Seeing as you can't pay, they'll be free of charge. And because your wrists were bleeding, I'd prefer to inject these into your legs so not as much of the vaccines will leave your bloodstream. However, these will make movement painful, and they'll affect your coordination." What he wasn't saying but Kouji caught onto anyway was "If I inject these into your legs, you won't be able to walk and will therefore have a legitimate excuse for not working."

A few shots went into his legs and his clothes were returned. He put them on before they headed out to the car. A straw mat had been placed in the backseat while Kouji slept in the front passenger seat. When they reached the base, Dr. Tenshi was directed to Kouji's cell. All the other people on this part of the cellblock were asleep or still working, so the other guards didn't need Kouichi to form a veil of darkness around them. The minute the cell door was opened, the sharp tang of blood exited the dark prison. The doctor only got a brief glimpse into Kouji's life to that point, and he didn't like what he saw. A large pool of blood was in the center of the room, and a new set of shackles was attached to the wall, disproving the notion that the torture racks were just for scare purposes only and never used. Upon seeing those inhumane conditions, he didn't want to leave his patient in there.

"Dr. Tenshi," Kouichi addressed. "The boy won't be staying in there. I've decided to leave him with his family for several weeks." He led the doctor down the corridor, past the exit ramp between Cells 6 and 18, and to the farthest cell on the right side: Cell 11. Once his job was finished, he left. Inside, two women and a man waited patiently while a tiny baby slept.

Dr. Tenshi entered the cell and laid the mat on the floor by the wall between Cell 11 and Cell 10. After that, he placed Kouji on his right side in a recovery position: his right arm and leg outstretched, the left leg bent and positioned above that, and his left arm draped toward his shoulder.

"He hasn't eaten in over a month, but don't pressure him to," the doctor informed. "We tried in the hospital and he threw up for an hour. Also, expect him to be more sensitive to light and sound. He's been in dark isolation since his arrest."

"Thank you," Kousei replied. But the doctor didn't leave. "Is there something else?"

"Kouji mentioned having a brother. Does anyone in here have the surname Kimura?"

"I do," Tomoko explained.

"Very interesting," Dr. Tenshi answered before exiting. "I'll be back to check on him in the morning. Until it is no longer necessary, I'll request for someone to remain nearby in case of emergency."

"Thank you, doctor," Satomi replied. He bowed politely and left.

Tomoko sat down and gently stroked her son's hair from underneath the bandana. Surprised by the shortness, she removed the bandana to see his awful haircut.

"Kouichi's handiwork," she realized.

"We're lucky Kouri's asleep," Satomi commented. "She shouldn't see him like this." A baby's cry soon interrupted her. "Speaking of…"

"Two sons," Kousei realized, crouching down to observe his sleeping son. It took him several minutes before he finally used his thumb to gently wipe away the tears Kouji had mistakenly shed from the brightness in the hospital. It was the only way he felt he could touch the boy, and the only way he felt he should be allowed to after the lies he'd told and the pain he'd caused. "It isn't until now that I realize just how different they really are. It was decided that we would name both sons Kou, but the older would be named Kouichi, a name similar to 'first light,' in honor of being the firstborn. The younger was Kouji—'second light'—expected to be the shadow to his brother. How wrong we were… Instead, our first light is the Darkness, and our shadow is the Light. And now, this."

"I guess there's nothing left to do but go to bed and see how he is in the morning," Tomoko decided.

The lights in front of the cell were switched off, and starlight and moonlight entered through the cell window. A thin silver beam of light from the full moon outside struck the stone floor. Looking through it, the family saw the illusion of a faint bluish glow around Kouji, much like the power they'd heard came from his Spirit. Everything was going to be all right

The next time Kouji paused for a breath, Izumi took his right hand and slowly traced the white scars down from his calloused hand. The rough, leathery feel of his hands was only another scar from his hard life. She held his hand gently and momentarily looked into his deep blue eyes.

"What's the rest of the story?" she asked. He took another breath and continued:

He had gotten used to waking up at twilight to three glowing lanterns—the only illumination in a seemingly endless darkness. He'd grown accustomed to nearly complete silence (sans his breathing, heartbeat, and movements, all of which echoed in the cell) until Kouichi entered with an order to evolve. He usually didn't smell anything until he was out of the cell, and the living conditions of the twenty-three families on Cellblock 18 became known to him. If he was lucky, he was able to get outside in time to see the last violet hues of dusk before the rich blue of night set in entirely. But the other extreme, dawn, was the exact mirrored opposite of what he'd come to know.

At first, his ears picked up the sounds of gentle whispering around Cell 11, Cellblock 18. But as more people awoke, the whispers gradually ascended into normal speaking, and before he knew it, orders were being barked out to slaves on the cellblock.

Not knowing where he was, he opened his eyes. All he could see was a bright white blur that burned his vision. He shut his eyes tightly and covered his ears as the assault on his senses continued. The odor of all the people on the corridor was unbearable enough for the few moments it took to get out and down to the exit level, but now Kouji was choking as he had in the hospital, completely unable to breathe. His father grabbed a towel and placed it over the boy's head, trying to offer some comfort.

"Excuse me," called Tomoko to a guard. "We need something to help block the light and sound in here." Underneath the towel, Kouji cringed in humiliation. He could imagine Kouichi found this quite humorous: After all that time in Cell 24, a sorrowful evolution had taken place, causing him to be unable to withstand the lights that gave him his name and power.

A thick black curtain was placed in front of the cell bars, allowing in solely the gray dawn. The sounds outside were muffled somewhat, but still loud enough to put unwanted pressure on Kouji's ears. Satomi walked to him with two pieces of toilet paper and placed them in his ears, blocking the sound even better. Finally, he removed the towel. He squinted to see the people in front of him as his eyes stopped watering and slowly adapted to the dawn light.

"Mom? Dad? Satomi?" he recognized. But just as he said their names, the curtain was pushed away, causing the intense bright lights to burn his eyes again. Dr. Tenshi opened the cell door and, realizing his blunder, closed the curtain again.

"I hate having to do this, but it must be done," he explained, taking out two convex metal ellipses. Each ellipse was made up of some kind of steel netting, like a juice strainer but much thicker and made to filter the light. Carefully, the doctor placed them on Kouji's eyes and used hospital tape to secure the sides of the ellipses to the boy's face. Finally, he wrapped a bandage over the ellipses, blocking all light. "Your retinas are too susceptible to damage," he continued. "Keep the bandage on for this first day, and the ellipses on for the first week, so you can eventually handle the light."

"How long am I going to stay here?" Kouji questioned.

"Two to three weeks. I am thankful enough that he is allowing you to recover in here, rather in that monstrosity on the other side of the cellblock."

"What cell was that?" Satomi asked.

"Number 24, I think," Kouji answered. A stunned silence was the only thing to inform him of his family's horrified expressions.

"A gift for all of you," Dr. Tenshi informed, placing four round objects in Kouji's hands. They had thick skin and gave off a sweet tropical scent. "Oranges, from the tree in my yard. My son and daughter had been picking them before the frost could set in, so I thought I should bring you some." He then slid up Kouji's sleeves to expose the bandaged wounds on his wrists. There were several shocked gasps before the doctor spoke. "Good, no blood is showing through. That means they're healing. Don't remove these bandages. Your wrists are prone to bleed again."

"All right," Kouji replied. The doctor helped him sit up and left, closing the thick curtain behind him.

"Cell 24, no wonder," Tomoko commented, hugging her son.

"What about it?" he questioned.

"There are so many rumors about that place—I don't know where to begin," Kousei started. Had Kouji had the use of his eyes, he'd have seen his father remove his glasses and rub the indents where the nosepiece bit into his skin. "The other slaves say that Kouichi leaves someone in there to die. Apparently, there are supposed to be several torture devices in there. The stories all differ at some point, but it's obvious that the prisoner in there is fated to die from the start—forsaken by everyone and everything."

Kouji nodded. "It really isn't that bad, but… The isolation—it's too much sometimes." Out of instinct, he brought his head down, as though he couldn't look at their faces. Satomi came over and placed her hand on the oranges.

"Let's eat breakfast, okay?" she suggested.

The oranges were peeled and passed out. Each was juicy and sweet from the cold winter carefully bringing forth the flavor. Kouji found he was unable to eat more than three slices, so his orange was put away for later.

"Everyone out," a guard ordered, pushing away the curtain and loudly opening the door.

"My son can't see," Kousei reasoned. "The Kaiser has allowed him to remain inside until further notice."

"I need to get confirmation," the guard replied, grabbing Kouji's arm and pulling him to his feet. "Follow me."

Kouji stood there nervously, his legs too stiff and pained to walk. As the guard kept ordering him to move, Reiyama walked over.

"I heard all the noise and thought I should take a look," he explained.

"This slave won't move. He says that the Kaiser is allowing him to recuperate," the other guard informed.

Reiyama took one look at Kouji and smirked a little bit.

"I don't know what he's talking about," the mercenary answered. "Only the mother and infant are supposed to be excluded from the labor."

And so Reiyama grabbed Kouji's shoulders and forced him to walk out with the others.__

"What?" Izumi cried. "Even though you could barely see or walk, he made you do all that?"

"Izumi, I don't want you feeling sorry for me," he reasoned.

"How can I not? There are too many things you were forced to do that you just brush off as nothing. Were the other slaves forced to do the same?" He didn't answer. "Well, were they?"

"No," he muttered.

"Kouji! Now I know how you can get out of a hospital bed and run into battle with the rest of us. Why did Kouichi do all this to you?"

"Kouichi had no idea this happened. He was busy at some big conference. All of this was Reiyama. But when Kouichi caught wind of this, he was furious. My identity had nearly been revealed out of Reiyama's carelessness. Six hours after I was sent out there, Renamon had to guide me back in. That was the first and last time she'd ever done anything to help me."

Renamon opened the door to Cell 11 and carefully escorted Kouji inside. The gentleness she used was astounding, considering that this was the same Digimon who usually joined in torturing him to no end. Once he was inside, she closed the door and locked it.

"The Kaiser will check on you later," she informed. "And he'll see to it that this doesn't happen again." Kouji wasn't sure whether or not to thank her, so he simply kept quiet.

"Are you all right?" Satomi checked.

"I'm okay," he assured, feeling around for his mat. Once he found it, he sat down. "Dad and Mom had to help guide me around. I couldn't do anything without their help."

"Where's your jacket?"

"Mom took it for me. I was too hot with it on."

"Your skin looks a little sunburned too."

Kouji rested his head against the wall. "I haven't been in the sun since January. I should have enjoyed it, but I was so weak, I could barely stand up."

Satomi placed a waxy leaf in his hand. "Here. This should help with your sunburn."

"What is it?"

"Aloe. Some of the slaves managed to get hold of small aloe plants and we've been growing them in here. We've also got different cut ointments and medicines for whatever we need."

"Thank you," he replied, rubbing the sticky juice on his stinging skin.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No. I'm fine."

"Well you should drink something at least." She got up and grabbed a cup, a bowl, a crude stone-and-wood pestle, and the remainder of Kouji's orange. Taking the handmade pestle, she ground the remaining pulp of the orange in the bowl, and carefully poured the fresh juice into the cup. She then took her stepson's hands and placed the cup in them. "Drink this. It's better than just water all the time."

He took a sip of the juice. "Thank you, Satomi."

"You're welcome. And stop being so polite. It's not like you."

"I'm sorry. It just happens. Is Kouri up?"

"No, she's still asleep. She'll be awake by dinner. She usually stays up through the night—except last night though. It's almost like she knows…" She shook her head. "No, that's crazy. She's only a baby. There's no way she can feel that."

"Feel what?"

"Never mind. Just sometimes, I think she might know what you're thinking, and how you're feeling. But she can't feel that. Only you and Kouichi have that ability."

"That curse could be in our DNA. Kouri would have gotten half of what we have—half from Dad and half from you. Maybe she's just better at feeling these things than we were. Kouichi and I didn't know each other for most of our lives—ten years at the most."

"True. Kouri did get to know you for a while before…before the incident."

"You can go ahead and say it: before that fight on the beach, before that whip closed around my neck, before Kouichi captured us all…"

"I think it would be all right if you took that bandage off your eyes," Satomi interrupted. "Looks like it's going to rain."

"You don't have to change the subject. If you don't want to hear about it, then just tell me. I'd rather not talk about it anyway." He reached back to remove the bandage, but the knot was drawn too tightly for him to untie. Silently, he cursed himself for having bitten off his fingernails when they'd grown too long. But his efforts eventually paid off and the knot was undone, causing the white cotton to drop from his eyes to reveal his stepmother's familiar face. "What are you reading?"

"_A Child Called 'It_," she replied. "One of the slaves from the Resistance has a shelf full of books he managed to keep hold of when he was captured. I don't think you'd be interested in it."

"Why not? What's it about?"

Satomi sighed. There was no way to lie to him. He'd only take the book from her and read it himself. "It's about a young boy who is abused every day of his life. At the age of ten, he finally escapes, with the help of his teachers. This man, Dave Pelzer, chronicled his life in this book. He was forced to sleep in a cot in the garage—never fed, poorly clothed…"

"How long did it go on?"

"I think since he was five."

"Why didn't anyone help him for five years?"

"It was against the law. Back then, the law in America was to protect the parents, and not the children."

"Can I read it?"

"I don't want you to strain your eyes."

"Then can you read it to me?"

"It's all in English."

"I know enough. You can translate."

She sighed once more. "I really don't want to. This boy, Dave, was completely losing hope in everything. It sounds too much like your life at this point."

"That's where Dave Pelzer and I are different. I'm not going to lose hope."

"All right." She flipped back to the first page and began reading it off to him, translating words from time to time.

-------  
Taiyou sat fuming in the Chiba/Beijing Resistance base. Peng walked out of the lab to see her sitting on a chair, her arms folded and her face covered by a look that could kill.

"I don't think I want to know," he commented.

"Tai started beating up on a friend of her brother's: Kouji Minamoto," Tori replied.

"Oh," Peng answered, realizing what she meant.

"Why doesn't Taiyou like Kouji?" Patamon questioned.

"To this day, she still blames him for her father's death," Tori explained. "To this day, she still holds him responsible."

**Reiyama's ****stuff is mostly from Raines of _The Pretender._ B****ut the spitting thing was inspired by a kid who hurled a huge one at a wall in front of me, whereas the hair-cutting ritual was from _The Tale of Genji_ by Murasaki Shikibo, only part of which I read.**** The thing about damage to the retinas was out of one of my favorite episodes of _Early Edition_, which I haven't seen in years.**


	16. Shiny Days, Part Three

_"I wonder, how many wishes have come true?  
__How many tears have been shed?  
__The answer is still  
__Waiting in the future."  
__Sora Takenouchi—"Shiny Days"  
__(Translated by tiara)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Eleven: "Shiny Days, Part Three"

Kouji quickly took a sip of water from his canteen, his voice becoming worn from all the talking he'd done that day.

"There's still something I don't understand," Izumi commented. "Taiyou said that she wanted people to know you were responsible for her father's death and Sakiko's mother's death, and that you were worse than Kouichi. But you had nothing to do with their deaths. You were in the slave camp at the time. Your only connection was by chance."

"Sometimes chance—fate—deals a bad hand," he replied.

"What do you mean?"

After six hours of reading and translating for her stepson, Satomi was interrupted by the sounds of the other slaves re-entering the cellblock. The paper in Kouji's ears was enough to block most of the loud noise, but there was no denying the fact that the echoing of the constant talking was making him very uncomfortable. The curtain was momentarily pushed aside as Kousei and Tomoko entered.

"Kouji, are you okay?" Tomoko checked, her motherly instincts taking over in full charge.

"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine for now. Just a little sore."

"Your eyes aren't hurting, are they?" she questioned, handing him his jacket to put on.

"No," he assured. "I'm fine. Satomi's been reading to me and making sure I don't get up from this spot."

"Thank you for taking care of him," Tomoko addressed Satomi. It had been one of the first times the two mothers had actually spoken, which eased the pressure on the rest of the family. "Now, um, let's heat up dinner."

She walked over to a small electric stove and turned on the burner underneath a large metal pot. Her ex-husband took a paper bag and removed a blackened loaf of sliced bread. Satomi went to the faucet to get water for everyone, and Kouji attempted to get up to help set for dinner.

"If you can't get up, don't," his father reprimanded. "You were barely able to walk out there, so there's no point in injuring yourself further." Defeated, Kouji sat down. It was one of the first times that day he'd actually admitted that he was unable to function normally.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, so you can finish up that chapter of what you were reading," Tomoko suggested.

"No, it's okay," Kouji replied. "I can wait to hear the rest tomorrow. If you see that guy with all the books, thank him for me." It was suddenly evident by the way he was trying to make sure they heard him that there was something wrong with his voice, and it wasn't puberty. He didn't seem to be able to raise the level of his voice, and when he did, it sounded strained.

"Does your throat hurt?" Satomi asked. "You have been out in the cold a lot recently."

"No, it's not that," he answered. "The doctors said my vocal cords are burned, so I have difficulty controlling the level of my voice. They said in a couple of years, I might heal enough with puberty and everything so my voice will sound normal, but it's not likely. My voice will only get deeper, not louder. And my hearing might be sensitive for the rest of my life too."

"The electrical whip," Tomoko realized. "It was around your neck for so long…" Kouji nodded.

"It's one of the things I'm going to have to live with," he replied.

"There are so many things you shouldn't have to live with," Tomoko reasoned, hugging him carefully. The simple act of reassurance was more for her than Kouji, as her composure was soon regained. "Let's eat." She offered him a bowl of tomato soup.

"Thank you," he answered, and carefully sipped a spoonful. It tasted like someone had taken ketchup, added water, brought it to a boil, and dubbed it soup. Despite the revolting flavor, he ate it anyway, as a beggar was in no position to be a chooser. He was offered a slice of the burnt bread, and he found it marginally better than the soup. Besides the obvious fact that it was so burnt that it barely qualified as food anymore, it was crusty and hard to chew, forcing him to soften it in the bland ketchup-water soup. But it was a lot more filling than just liquids.

Suddenly, he was aware that the adults were staring at him. "What?"

"It's nothing," his father assured. "It's just good seeing you here, alive."

"It's good to be here," he commented so quietly that they weren't sure if they were supposed to hear it or not. A soft cry was heard from nearby, prompting Satomi to get up and retrieve her daughter. "Do you need help?" Kouji checked.

"Not much," Satomi protested. "I only need to change her diaper, and I'll feed her soon, but I doubt it would hurt if you held her. Just let me change her first." A quick diaper change later, Kouri was gently placed in Kouji's arms.

The infant stared at her brother, unable to recognize him. It is said that babies like looking at faces and, like adults, prefer a "pretty" face to an "ugly" one. While adults, teenagers, and the elderly know that there are some times when a person's face will be "flawed," children and infants will make it known that someone is that way. Perhaps it was the ellipses that blocked her view of Kouji's eyes or just the simple fact that she hadn't seen him in over a month that caused the reaction, but whatever the reason, Kouri only blinked at him. Realizing she may have caused more harm than good, Satomi tried to take her daughter back, only to have two tiny but powerful lungs scream out in resistance, causing everyone's ears to hurt.

Kouri stared at the new face once more, determined to figure out whom it belonged to. She liked the gentle way he held her, and even the calloused texture of his hands, but there was something she didn't like: a dark aura left behind on him from his experiences. Finally, after an eternity of silence, the newcomer began singing very softly, using a melody played on a guitar only a lifetime ago. But before he could even begin the next line, Kouri smiled at Kouji and giggled, almost as if saying, "Why are you singing such a sad song? We're all here together! You should be happy."

"You must be magic, Kouji," Satomi decided. "She hasn't laughed or even smiled since that day."

"That's the song you've been working on, isn't it?" Kousei recognized. His son nodded.

"Why don't you sing the whole thing?" Tomoko suggested. "Or at least as much as you have right now."

Softly, he sang every verse of the song, causing everyone who could hear him to stop what they were doing and listen. It was the only time music had ever been heard in the halls of the base, and every moment of it was treasured. After the final line was sung, a round of applause sounded from those in the surrounding cells who'd been able to hear. Kouri simply giggled, looking proud and serenely content in her brother's arms.

"I've heard you playing the tune on your guitar at home," Kousei remembered. "But why did you choose such somber lyrics?"

"I came up with the lyrics during my shifts, when the only real light came from the blue stars and moon."

"And the regret?" Kousei pressed. His son didn't answer. Instead, the young warrior glanced up at the adults.

"What happened to you after our capture? I was never allowed to know."

"The first morning, we were sifting through whatever remained of the house," Kousei explained. "Few things remained from the fire. Whatever remained of your stuff was either sold or destroyed. We managed to save some things—Kouri's baby book, yours, a few photo albums—anything that survived." He handed Kouji his baby book. "This seems to be the only surviving record of your existence." It contained his birth certificate, baby pictures, school photos, and pictures from vacations and field trips. The other half of the information—Kouichi's, and maybe some more of Kouji's—was at Tomoko's.

"I have a few pictures in my cell," Kouji informed. "When I woke up, I was holding them."

"Izumi's doing, no doubt," Satomi determined. "She was in there with you for an hour. If anything, she was the most brokenhearted about what happened to you." Kouji felt that he understood why a little too well.

The cell door suddenly burst open, and a very angry Kouichi Kimura entered, heading directly for the boy sitting against the wall. In the blink of an eye, he had his hand pressed against Kouji's neck. The adults grabbed at Kouichi, trying to get his hand away from the younger twin's neck, but somehow the Warrior of Darkness was too strong. Finally, the Digimon Kaiser let go, and Kouji gasped for breath. Miraculously, he'd managed to hold onto Kouri the whole time, and she was crying now out of fear. Carefully, he handed her to Satomi, afraid of what might happen next.

"Get up," Kouichi ordered.

"He can't," his father replied.

Kouichi grabbed Kouji's arm and roughly pulled him to his feet. "Get up!" Kouichi took the two halves of the Black Ring and began to place them around Kouji's neck, but the younger resisted the elder.

"Kouichi, stop," Tomoko urged.

"There's no point to the ring," Kouji reasoned, his voice quiet and calm. "I won't be able to evolve for at least three weeks, and why control my muscles when I can't control them myself?"

"Consider this rehabilitation then," Kouichi argued. "You have the freedom to go anywhere you want so long as you're back before sunrise. No guards. You're on your own."

"The catch?"

"You have to wear the ring."

"No deal."

"What?"

"You heard me. I said I won't do it."

"A night of freedom and you're giving it up?"

"You may call it freedom, but I don't."

"That wasn't an invitation; that was an order. This is the last bit of kindness I'll show to you," Kouichi promised. "If you were smart, you'd take it." The next thing anyone knew, he'd raised his whip over his head and was preparing to bring it down. Out of sheer human instinct, Kouji closed his eyes, ready to feel the weight hit him. Suddenly, Kouichi gave a surprised yell, and the weight harmlessly hit the wall. Kouji opened his eyes and was more than a little surprised to see his father fending off a very angry eleven-year-old. But even more surprising was a dark aura Kouichi was emitting, nearly breaking away to attack the others in the cell.

"Kouichi, I'll do it," he agreed. "One hour."

Kouichi pulled his arm free. "I knew you'd see it my way." The darkness surrounding him calmed down somewhat and re-entered his body. "For your cooperation, I'll let you go without the ring for this night only, but you will be accompanied."

Slowly and weakly, Kouji stepped out of the cell and began walking down the passage. He'd reached Cells 8 and 16 when Kouichi cracked his whip, using the weight to propel Kouji into the bars of Cell 16 with a loud clank that caught everyone's attention even more effectively than the song had. Kouichi came over, lifted Kouji by the shirt collar and whispered, "If you ever pull a stunt like that again, your family will be killed in the most gruesome way you can think of." He then pulled him to his feet. "You are neither human nor Digimon any longer, understand, halfling? You are a slave, and not worth saving or killing. You are the lowest form of life. You are no more than a mistake of nature, a mutant—an evolutionary reject. Understand?" Kouji nodded and was forced to walk on.

If there was anything worse than Kouichi's torture and "pep talks," it was his sense of humor: lousy and totally inappropriate. He'd decided (probably to rub in how weak Kouji was) that the chaperone would be a seven-year-old girl, ironically enough from Cellblock 24, one of the orphan cellblocks. An inquisitive girl by nature, Toshiko followed Kouji around endlessly until he finally reached a quiet park in Odaiba.

"Why are we here?" she asked.

"It's the most deserted place in town. It's the closest either of us is going to get to an escape for now." He sat down on a bench and stared at the sky.

"What are you looking at?"

"The stars."

"I don't see any. Just the moon."

"Keep looking. You'll see them soon."

Toshiko squinted and stared into the inky blue-blackness of the sky. Two, perhaps three, blue stars appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"They're pretty," she commented. Suddenly, she noticed he was breathing hard and clutching his chest. "What's wrong?"

"I have a problem breathing," he answered. "My chest hurts when I strain myself. Listen, I want you to do something, and you have to. It's important."

"What is it?"

"You have to get out of here. You have to get somewhere safe. Escape."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"The Kaiser kills anyone who sees me. You have to escape before he can get to you too."

"But where do I go?"

Kouji stood up. "Come on. We're heading for the train station."

Keeping an eye out for anyone following them, they quickly hurried to the nearest train station. Desperate to get her to safety, he walked up to a ticket counter.

"One ticket please," he requested.

"600.65 yen please," the ticket keeper stated.

Kouji searched through his pockets, and feigned a shocked look. "My money! Someone stole it!"

Hearing this, a white-haired woman removed a thousand yen and handed it over to the ticket keeper. Then she handed the change to Kouji.

"I can't accept this," he replied.

"Just take it. I won't live forever, you know, and I can't take this with me." Her statement was rather unsettling, but Kouji had to get Toshiko out of Odaiba, so he took the money and headed for the nearest train.

"Here," he informed. "This train will take you to Tamachi. When you get there, find the Resistance, or anyone who can help you."

"What about you?" she questioned.

"I have to stay here. This is your chance for something better. Take it."

The woman suddenly walked up to him.

"Don't worry," she assured. "I'll take care of her."

"Who are you?"

"One of the Adult Digimon told me to watch out for you. Your sacrifice is brave. Now, you'd better hurry back to the base before your hour is up." Confused, Kouji nodded and ran.

"Someone other than Dr. Tenshi was watching out for you?" Izumi questioned, barely believing what she'd heard.

"Yeah. I know it's weird, but someone knew who I was in there. Maybe Dr. Tenshi told one of the Digimon my name, and they told that woman. I mean, it's obvious that he told Kage and Taiyou who I was, so anything's possible. I sometimes hear from Toshiko and that woman. So far, they're doing okay in Tamachi. Toshiko's going to school in some private academy there, and she's doing really well. They're living in the Tamachi T.M. apartment complex, and they invited me to come and visit one day, but I couldn't."

"Too bad," Izumi commented. "It's nice to hear that you were able to find out they were okay, but I suppose it would have been nice to see them again after three years."

He nodded. "And Kouichi was furious about Toshiko's escape—so mad in fact that rumor spread that he'd started punishing one Digimon almost as badly as he did me. But the slaves all saw Toshiko's escape as hope for the future, and that someday, they'd be able to leave that hellhole too. But…"

"But that's not the end of the story, is it?"

"No. After my three weeks were up and I was sent back to Cell 24, Dr. Tenshi managed to talk Kouichi into having me work the day shifts. It meant I'd have to evolve, but there were more slaves around so Reiyama and Renamon couldn't follow me the whole time. My senses were readapting to daylight and some sound, even though my voice never healed. I thought I was able to throw everything they threw at me. But it was on one day that I learned I'd never be able to handle what Kouichi gave…"

Half a week had come and gone since his return to Cell 24. The day shifts were bad, but tolerable. He still wasn't being fed, but he had plenty of water now that the warm March weather was yielding to spring. Evolving had become less painful, even if it was draining. Every once in a while, his evolutions would fail, causing him to revert to his human state. As there was no solution to that problem yet, he was free to devolve to human form so long as no one was around. But someone had been around one time, and had described a young boy "being consumed completely by a bright flash of light." The slave that had reported it was executed the next day, but that didn't stop myths from spreading about a curse placed on whomever saw "the Kaiser's brother." But even so, Kouji made sure to be very cautious about his devolutions, knowing that more people would die if these fluxes went unfixed.

It was March 12, a beautiful, cloudless Wednesday in Kouji's hometown of Yokohama—well, it would have been if he hadn't noticed some immature, selfish human adult setting off an explosion. The blame was immediately shifted to Wolfmon and his current partner, Koemon, leading to an informal investigation.

"Which one of you did it?" Reiyama demanded.

"It was an…" Koemon started.

"I did," Wolfmon interrupted. She stared at him in shock while the others looked upon him with malice. "It was an accident. I think there was a leak in the weapons…" Before he could finish, Reiyama hit him across the face with his gun. Though he hit the asphalt, he got up carefully so as not to show any weakness to his wardens.

"Fox Leaf Arrowhead!"

The white leaves stung his face as they gouged into his skin. He'd entirely given up on fighting back, knowing that it was pointless and could cost his family their lives. After thirty seconds of abuse from Reiyama and Renamon, Kouichi slashed at him with the electric blade, which accidentally jammed itself in Wolfmon's armor. He'd been attacked by worse, but in his weakened state, his evolution failed as the electricity easily coursed through the metal and burned at the boy inside. A dome of DigiCode appeared around him as the H-Spirit lost all power. Afraid that the twin's identity would be revealed, Kouichi discreetly pressed a button on his digivice, causing Wolfmon to devolve into Strabimon.

Carefully, the Child form of the great warrior removed the blade from his left arm, knowing that there would be some burns on his human skin. The blade was then removed from the whip, and the electrically charged leather cracked across his body. Again and again it hit him, eventually forcing him to his hands and knees. Kouichi then left, pleased with his work.

"Koemon," Reiyama addressed, "head off to work with that rookie, Kotemon."

"Yes, sir," she answered. But before leaving, she turned to her hero. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. For now."

"What's your name?"

"Strabimon."

"Are you going to be able to evolve again?"

"Yes. By tomorrow. Now, get moving. Reiyama might report you talking to me."

By ten o'clock that night, everyone on Cellblock 31 knew his identity.

Once everyone was indeed gone, Strabimon used his true devolution and returned to a beaten Kouji Minamoto.

"Need help?" Dr. Tenshi questioned.

"No. I'm okay." He got to his feet and brushed the dirt off himself. "What are you doing in Yokohama? I thought your office was in Chiba."

"It is, but I've been tracking down clues to the assassination of a colleague of mine. Tell me, have you ever heard of the First Two?"

"No. News doesn't reach my cell."

"The Kaiser is directly responsible for two assassinations: the first—of his brother, and the second—of my colleague." He then looked at the boy. "May I ask a question?"

"Go ahead."

"I hope you're not offended, but what happened to your shirt and sneakers?" Kouji's jacket, T-shirt, and sneakers were all missing. As the boy walked down the street barefoot, the sun slowly tanned his upper body. Though he was still grossly thin, he was looking healthier; his skin was already a light gold—much more preferable to his sickly pallor of three weeks before.

"Escape prevention," Kouji explained. "As long as we're in the cities, we have more of a chance of escaping into the crowd. Some of us are missing shoes—others, shirts. I'm missing both because I'm the one they want to find first. Plus, they think I've already tried to escape. In all stores, both a shirt and shoes are required, so none of us can remain in the city. Our only chance is to find a Resistance settlement."

"I saw what happened," Dr. Tenshi confessed. "I saw that poor excuse for a man detonate those weapons. So the same incident doesn't repeat itself, take this." He handed the boy an odd device hooked onto a leather cord. "A mine defuser I've developed for the Resistance."

"I thought you were a doctor, not a scientist," he replied, placing the device in his pocket, along with some Fox Leaf Arrowheads he'd gathered.

"A doctor by profession; a scientist by nature."

"Well, anyway, why did you mention the First Two?"

"Apparently, you are the key to the identity of the first victim. Both he and my colleague were directly or indirectly linked to you."

Kouji lowered his head. "Then you know…"

"All I know about you is simply speculation. I have found thousands of Kimuras all over the Tokyo area. It is possible that any number of those Kimuras could have had a murdered family member. Coincidences happen."

"Or maybe not," interrupted a cruel drawl. There was a gunshot and Dr. Tenshi fell to the ground, dying instantly from a bullet to his heart. Standing behind him were Kouichi and Reiyama.

"I guess that's the First Three now," Kouichi commented.

For three months, Kouji had been forced to hold back a stockpile of anger more dangerous than any weapon man could make. People were dying left and right because of him, and countless others were suffering in silence. This final assassination was the last straw.

Reiyama's gun went off, causing a bullet to just miss Kouji as it tore past his back, drawing blood. Somehow, he had managed to lunge forward and begin the most violent fight he'd ever been in. In all his life, he couldn't remember a time when he'd fought that dirty, or worse than it. The roles of Kaiser and slave were forgotten. Kouichi's infamous position and Kouji's nameless existence no longer had any meaning. They were both halflings now; they were on an even playing field: two boys fighting. True, Kouichi had a weapon, but Kouji still had the advantage. While Kouichi snapped his whip in a useless attempt to lash his opponent, Kouji managed to get in a few good punches he'd learned from months of beating via Renamon. Without a shirt to grab, he was able to avoid being thrown, unlike his and Takuya's weakness when they fought. The one thing that caused him to lose was Reiyama's gun as it hit the back of his head. He fell to the asphalt, unconscious.

"Wake up!" Kouichi ordered, splashing the entire sink full of water on Kouji. The other boy coughed and sputtered as he slowly opened his eyes. His head pounded with a throbbing pain. His vision faded in and out, but he finally managed to focus on his brother's form. The uncontrolled rage burst up again, causing him to aimlessly try and pull himself free from the black shackles that held him against the wall.

"Finally," Kouichi continued. "I didn't want you to miss your punishment." The whip lashed across Kouji's body, leaving behind a painful red welt on his chest. There was a crackle of electricity, and the whip bit into him again, this time producing a bleeding cut. And so the torture continued for an hour and a half; Kouichi wanted Kouji to remember this day. Kouji put up with the pain as best he could, but he eventually found it to be too much to bear. Ragged, choked gasps for breath escaped him every time the whip hit him. His skin was burnt red from the electricity. Every once in a while, the shocks would stop and restart his heart like a defibrillator. When the whip stopped hitting him, his head slumped forward. Kouichi exited the cell, leaving him hanging against the wall by his wrists and ankles.

Kouji didn't know why, but for fifteen minutes he remained in that position, almost as if he was letting his brother win. His breathing was still shallow, but his heart and lungs had slowed down enough so he didn't have to worry quite as much, even though his position on the wall made it difficult to breathe and made him very dizzy.

The door opened, but he couldn't hear it or see it. He didn't respond to anything until his father, mother, and stepmother called out his name. Weakly, he lifted his head to see them. His heart wrenched in pain as he realized they too would be prisoners in this dimly lit hellhole. But they didn't seem to care. Even though they couldn't get him down, they treated his wounds and fed him without once acting like something was wrong. They were together again, and that was what mattered until the final member of their family could join them.

"So Taiyou blames you for her father's death," Izumi realized. Kouji nodded. "But you're not responsible."

"But I am…in a way. If I'd only…"

"Only what? You couldn't stop Kouichi from cutting you. And even if you could, Dr. Tenshi wouldn't have abandoned you. He'd do the same as Dr. Yamamoto and Dr. Matsumoto: continue caring for a patient no matter what the cost."

A dark shadow suddenly loomed overhead. The two Legendary Warriors glanced up to see Cyberdramon hovering over their location. Ignoring old instincts to fight, they ran for cover, but the only refuge available was the trees. Kouji cupped his hands together to give Izumi a boost into a tall oak. She reached down her hand to help him up, but the menacing Perfect was heading in their direction. Seeing no other options, Kouji began looking around for a weapon.

Cyberdramon soon approached the unarmed teenager. But he didn't attack. Rather, he seemed to be listening, and occasionally sniffing. He made a wild swing, narrowly missing the young man, causing both Chosen's hearts to race. Cyberdramon swung again, missing. Because of the uncoordinated movements, Kouji was suddenly aware that this Cyberdramon was blind and dependant on all his other senses in order to attack. The rain had washed away Kouji's and Izumi's scents, further crippling him. Kouji fought to keep his breathing under control, but there was little he could do for his racing heart, which continued to pump adrenaline into his system. Cyberdramon continued to advance, backing his unwilling opponent into a tree trunk. He sniffed again and listened, causing Kouji to force a wavering calm through his body. Finally, their blind assailant left, heading for the site of their departure.

For a while, both humans remained frozen, not wanting to summon the frightening Digimon again, but once they were sure he was far enough out of earshot, Izumi jumped down from her hiding place.

"Are you all right?" she checked.

"Yeah," Kouji answered, taking this moment to catch his breath. "That's as close as I ever want to get to a Cyberdramon."

"Where do you think he's headed?"

"Where else? The castle."

* * *

"Erase Claw!" Cyberdramon attacked, blindly hitting the tree branches.

"Air Shot!" Patamon attacked, trying to help his friends.

"Patamon, you'll only get hurt," Bokomon scolded. "Get back over here, and leave the battle to the others."

"Without evolving, you wouldn't be a match for Cyberdramon," Taiyou added. "And even at the Adult level, there's no guarantee you'd be able to fend off a Perfect."

"Tai!" Tori cried. "There's no need to tell him that!"

"I doubt this is the time for arguing like this," Peng decided. "He's still advancing!"

Weapons fired at the ferocious creature attacking them, but all their efforts seemed to encourage the blind Perfect rather than discourage him.

"Spirit Evolution! Shutumon!" Izumi's shout preceded her appearance for soon Shutumon was observed appearing on the scene, followed on foot by Kouji.

"You again?" Taiyou asked. "Don't you ever know when to quit?"

Kouji ignored her rudeness and placed into effect their battle plan. "Izumi, do you see any way of stopping him?" Cyberdramon turned to the sound of Kouji's voice.

"Wind of Pain!" Shutumon ordered the minute the Perfect's attention was diverted. Soundlessly, Kouji ran to another location.

"Watch out!" he shouted in a fake warning. "He's behind you!"

"Cyber Nail!" Cyberdramon thrust his attack forward, hitting only air.

"Gilgamesh Slicer!" Shutumon attacked from the side, further enraging the enemy. But he managed to hit her with one of his powerful arms, knocking her from the sky. As she devolved, plummeting to the ground below, Kouji ran over and grabbed her wrist to prevent her from falling any further. Lightning flashed, yielding to a loud explosion of thunder. The ear-splitting thunder crash was just what Taiyou "Tai" Tenshi needed.

Gracefully, she leapt into the air and tackled Cyberdramon. The assaulted Digimon flew high into the air and began to thrash about in an attempt to dislodge her, but it was useless.

"Fire, idiots!" she shouted from his back. Weapons and attacks fired at Cyberdramon, eventually causing his black DigiCode to show.

"DigiCode Scan!" Kouji ordered, neutralizing the darkness.

"This isn't right," Liu observed. Instead of coming down, Cyberdramon began flying higher and higher, up to where the atmosphere was thinner.

"But Cyberdramon's not being controlled anymore," Neemon pointed out. Bokomon snapped his counterpart's pants.

"Cyberdramon is a Digimon whose sole purpose is fighting," Bokomon explained in a matter-of-fact tone. "There's no chance of stopping him now."

"I can't even see them anymore," Patamon commented.

In the air, Taiyou was determined not to give up without a fight. She had no weapon, so she continued to kick her captor and pull herself up to tug at his wings.

"You're only going to die more quickly if you do that," Cyberdramon determined.

"Then so be it." With one hand, she held onto his neck tightly, while the other grabbed one of his wings. She pressed it down and felt Cyberdramon's altitude drop. Seeing that this was the answer, she broke it with a tremendous burst of energy. Cyberdramon shouted in agony and began to wildly spiral to the forest canopy below. When they had just about hit the ground, Taiyou jumped off with a flip and landed perfectly. Behind her, Cyberdramon lifted himself from the crater into which he'd fallen and approached the woman in a fighting stance. She smiled. "So, you want more?"

Cyberdramon charged her, but she sidestepped him. After that first time, however, he'd figured out her moves exactly and expected her sidestep, so he grabbed at her. She grabbed his arm and was pulled into the air, but she let go and fell on him in a tackle. Keeping her knees close to his neck, she held him still while he tried to fight her off. Growing tired of this, she dug her fingernails into his skin and calmly ordered, "Cyberdramon, obey. The battle is over. I win." She stood up and began to walk off, but he aimed an Erase Claw at her. Rapidly, she dodged it and grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back. "Cyberdramon, you _will _obey me. The battle is over. Now if you don't want anything more than a broken wing, I suggest you leave now."

As she walked away, he called out, "Wait!"

She turned around. "Is there something you want?"

"Certain Digimon have been partnering with those they feel are the strongest fighters in the Resistance. I would like to form a partnership with you, if you accept."

"I accept," Taiyou answered with a ghost of a smile on her face. The others arrived, and Izumi approached Cyberdramon to bandage his wing. He growled.

"Uh, maybe you should bandage it," she decided, seeing how he was obeying Taiyou. She took the bandage and carefully wrapped up his wing.

"Tai," Tori addressed, "while you were fighting, we heard Kouji's story about what happened to your father. He's not responsible."

"Your point?" she asked.

"Please, just listen to his story," Izumi pleaded. "If you'll only take a minute…" She looked at Kouji, who shook his head in a gesture of "Forget it."

Taiyou stepped up to Kouji, Cyberdramon following closely.

"Leave," she ordered. "The next time we meet, I can't guarantee I'll be able to control my partner."

He nodded in comprehension. "Come on, Izumi. We'd better leave now if we want to catch up with the others."

"Right," she agreed, her voice revealing how unsure she was about everything.

They bowed in respect to the humans and said goodbye to Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon. When they approached Taiyou and Cyberdramon, they both bowed (Kouji a little awkwardly), but Taiyou only bowed back to Izumi, as if telling Kouji, "Just because we're on the same side, it doesn't mean I have to like you." Cyberdramon didn't bow, which was probably not an act of disrespect, but just a display that it was not a custom of Digimon. But Liu bowed to both in the Chinese style, as though making up for Taiyou's disrespect and Cyberdramon's discomfort at such a foreign custom.

As they continued walking toward the D.C./Fuji Resistance, Izumi turned to Kouji and asked, "Why didn't you try and argue your case?"

He adjusted his bag and looked up at the gray sky, barely visible through the thick canopy. A gentle rain fell through, almost as if mocking them. "It wouldn't have done any good. Taiyou needs someone to blame. I'm not asking for friends, but for someone who will help fight Kouichi. Taiyou can forgive me if she wants, but it's up to time to tell." Izumi nodded. She didn't agree, but she at least understood.

_Halfling: a very derogatory term for a human/Digimon hybrid. Basically means "illegitimate child of a human and Digimon" or "cannot be one or the other." Equivalent to the words "kaq" (literally, "dirt under the foot") or "trangshi" ("outcast; unlucky") from Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic or "mudblood" from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. Can also be used for matrix evolutions such as Takato/Guilmon's Dukemon, Ruki/Renamon's Sakuyamon, Jenrya/Terriermon's SaintGalgomon, or Ryo/Cyberdramon's Justimon. Same definition, though not as disparaging, used by Lady Iapetus._

**The halfling connection to Iapetus was unintentional, as I read the fic that contained it after I wrote this chapter. I intended to have "halfling" as a term much like "half-breed" in _InuYasha_ and Rocker Starlight's "Dark Diaries." Toshiko's name comes from Toshiko Fujita, who played Taichi in _Adventure. _The ****soup came from that public service announcement about feeding the children. The one with the mother stealing the ketchup from the fast food place. Also, ****the whole menu came from _G Gundam:_**** At Argo's prison in Neo Russia, the prisoners are given soup and bread.**


	17. Yuuki wo Tsubasa ni Shite

_"If I'm with you,  
__I can cross over to the other side of the sky  
__No matter how hard it seems,  
__I'm sure we'll be all right."  
__Taichi Yagami—"Yuuki wo Tsubasa ni Shite"  
__(Translated by Megchan)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Twelve: "Yuuki wo Tsubasa ni Shite"

The first or second week of August—that was how long Captain Jen-Tai Liu approximated it would take for Kouji and Izumi to arrive at Kage's location. Well, they had news for him: It was _not_ that short a time. It was already Friday of the third week, and they were hopelessly lost. After Cyberdramon's rampage, it seemed as though there was nothing but delays following them along the way. First, the storm had caused a tree to fall in their path, forcing them to make an abrupt course alteration to complement for it. Then, they'd run out of food, forcing them to go completely off their path to forage for anything edible. And now, they were lost in the search for water.

"Do you think we should have stayed longer at the castle?" Izumi questioned. "Taiyou would at least let us restock our supplies."

"I didn't think of it then," Kouji confessed. "Our first aid supplies were freshly stocked back at the caravans, and that was what I was most worried about; we can't replace that in the wild. But I never thought about our food and water. We usually just made do with what we could find." He glanced up. The sun was high in the sky, the heat beating down on them uncomfortably. Without water, they'd quickly dehydrate. Where was the rain from all those days before?

"Wait here," he decided. "If I don't come back in twenty minutes, evolve and follow."

"All right," she agreed reservedly.

With that approval, Kouji set off in search of any water source around. It took every second of the twenty minutes, plus about ten minutes more, but he finally came across a shallow river.

One of the many good things about the Digital World was the absence of pollution. Everything was pure and clean. When he approached the banks, he knelt down and began filling the canteens with the cool water, never once needing to worry about boiling it to kill off any microorganisms swimming around in it, or filtering it free of contamination by natural or industrial pollution. Here, things seemed more real, unlike all the artificial and superficial products back home. Despite the fact that everything around—even Kouji himself—consisted of data, making the realness seem contradictory, everything _was_ real: tangible and attainable. But the one thing that neither world had tangible or attainable was peace. War was also all too real to both worlds.

"Salamander Break!"

The attack may have caught Kouji by surprise, but the flames didn't. As the bright orange flames danced toward him, he rapidly splashed water from the canteen at them. Enough of the fire was extinguished to prevent serious injury to him, but tiny flickering flames landed around him, forcing him to pour water over them. Momentarily, he frowned at the waste of the water he'd gotten lost for two days for and then looked up at Agnimon.

"Could you be any more careless?" he asked. "You nearly set to whole forest ablaze. I thought you'd have learned your lesson after you got your B-Spirit." The human-type Digimon stared at him in shock.

"How'd you…"

"Kouji!" called a familiar voice. Shutumon flew in to aid her boyfriend and devolved, very disappointed in the other boy she saw.

"Izumi?" Agnimon recognized.

"Takuya, devolve now," she ordered. "Really, I'd think you two would have stopped fighting long ago."

A thousand bands of DigiCode wrapped around Agnimon, eventually unwrapping to reveal an older but otherwise unchanged Takuya Kanbara. "Is that you, Izumi?" he asked.

"Of course it is," she answered in a rather exasperated tone. "But why were you fighting Kouji?"

"My bad," the Warrior of Fire apologized. There was a faint bleakness in his eyes that was unsettling. He then turned to Kouji. "I couldn't see too well in the thick foliage. I thought you were an enemy. Sorry."

"It's all right," Kouji assured.

"Come on," the goggle-headed leader urged, "let's go to base. Are the others in for a big surprise!"

They were escorted into a small clearing in the woods, where a large group of people was speaking English and occasionally Japanese. They were introduced to several Americans, including a tough woman named Valerie LaSalle, and three girls named Tram-Anh Nguyen, Katrina Vostok, and Skye Parker. The fighters from the Mt. Fuji Settlement already knew Izumi, but needed to be introduced to Kouji, as they hadn't had a chance to meet him before they headed off to the Digital World. Several Digimon had also joined their ranks: an energetic Terriermon, three Fladramon of varied personalities, a loyal and trusting Piyomon, a vicious-looking Dobermon, an inquisitive Monodramon, a powerful BlackWarGreymon, and a mysterious Tailmon.

"The real powerhouses of this team are BlackWarGreymon and Tailmon," Takuya explained. "Tailmon's been with us for a while, but Kage ran into BlackWarGreymon on his way to… Hey, wait! Where _is_ Kage anyway?"

"He and the others have been looking for our mysterious contact," Tram-Anh replied. "They should be back soon."

"Okay, then we'll wait," Takuya decided. "I'm dying to see the looks on their faces!"

Tram-Anh covered his mouth. "I apologize for anything he says that might offend the two of you. So, where have you been hiding? You were left behind at the station, right?"

"We've been staying in a town we claimed after the hospital," Izumi explained. "But we're not sure if anything's left of that town anymore. It was probably taken apart when our identities were revealed to the Imperial Guard."

"Does this have anything to do with the whole Masaki Nishigawa fiasco?" Valerie questioned.

"It has everything to do with it," Kouji answered.

"What's wrong with your voice?" Skye asked.

"Vocal cord damage," he explained. "Long story."

"Kage!" Takuya cried in excitement, causing Kouji's eardrums to pound. How many times on this journey would his hearing be put in jeopardy?

"Can you keep it down?" Kouji requested. "My ears are pretty sensitive."

"It's about time someone told him that," Valerie muttered just loud enough for Takuya to hear.

"Sorry about that," the loudmouthed goggle head apologized, taking this moment to glare at Valerie. "Kage!"

"What is it?" the Resistance leader questioned.

"You'll never believe who just showed up out of nowhere!"

As the other four walked to where Izumi and Kouji were standing, Kouji observed a very slight twitch in Tailmon's ears and a faint glimmer of light off her Holy Ring. He wasn't particularly sensitive to the Powers of Darkness, but he had an unshakable feeling she was.

Overall, there was very little change in Junpei and Tomoki, aside from the fact that they were both older, and theoretically more mature. But they reacted to the sight of Izumi the same as they would three years before: the overwhelming mass of questions and everything. Kage, on the other hand, was more than just the organized captain that had unintentionally abandoned them before. He had changed more now that he had a lot more than just his old ragtag group of rebels to command. Like his sister, he had to prove himself as a worthy leader for the Digimon, and so his childish pranks were long gone. But he was still immensely curious and retained an insatiable appetite for knowledge, which proved he had been the fourteen-year-old commander on Mt. Fuji.

"Okay, one at a time!" Izumi pleaded.

"How'd you get left behind?" Tomoki asked. "You were right behind us, so why didn't you get on?"

"Takamoto was shot," she explained.

"So you went back for him?" Kage guessed serenely. She nodded.

"Is he okay?" Takuya questioned.

"Yeah. He needs a cane and uses a prosthetic leg, but other than that, he's fine," she replied.

"So who's that guy behind you?" Junpei asked.

"Guys, it's Kouji. I can't believe you don't recognize him." She was met with several blank stares and puzzled faces. "You know, Kouji Minamoto? My boyfriend?" At the name, Kage's eyes widened slightly, and he brought up his head in a gesture of recognition.

"Sounds like you got over Kouichi pretty fast," Takuya commented.

"What are talking about?" Izumi asked. "You've known forever. You have to remember Kouji?" Aside from Kage's reaction, there was little sign of recognition at the name. "Kouichi's brother?" Suddenly, the other three Chosen burst into uncontrolled laughter while Kage rubbed his chin in suspicion, where a few tiny stubbles of a beard showed.

"Get out!" Takuya laughed. "Kouichi with a brother? That's just too funny. I think you've been listening to all those rumors too long."

"Val," Kage interrupted. "We need a conference at the Inner Circle. You, me, Takuya, Junpei, Tomoki, Skye, Katrina, Tram-Anh, and Tailmon."

"All right," she agreed, and the elected members walked off.

Izumi turned to Kouji. "How could they not remember you?"

"Kouichi's power," he whispered. "I noticed it in their eyes. I think Tailmon noticed it too. I saw her react to them when they walked in. Everyone has it, I think."

"Then this whole base is ready to turn you over?" Izumi whispered.

"No. He can't control someone that refuses his power—that's why he uses the Black Ring on me. But we will have to watch our backs around here."

------  
Tailmon followed the others to the Inner Circle. Valerie's and Kage's faces held very grim expressions that she didn't like.

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Takuya asked.

"I recognize the name Kouji Minamoto," Kage explained. "He was a halfling that my sister holds a grudge against."

"A halfling?" Tomoki repeated.

"I know," he replied. "I normally don't use a word _that _profane, but Tai calls him that. Our father met him years ago. Apparently, he had the ability to become a Digimon through the Spirits of Light."

"But there were only nine Legendary Warriors," Takuya pointed out. He counted off each one on his fingers. "AncientGreymon, AncientMegatheriumon, AncientBeetmon, AncientSphinxmon, AncientIrismon, AncientVolcamon, AncientTroiamon, AncientMermaimon, and AncientWisemon."

"I know," Kage answered. "That's only common knowledge. From their powers arose the Spirits of Fire, Ice, Thunder, Darkness, Wind, Earth, Wood, Water, and Steel. But…"

"But there were those Spirits of Light," Valerie finished. Kage nodded.

"Is it possible to create artificial Spirits?" Junpei questioned.

"Not to my knowledge," Kage replied. "These Spirits were real, and so were the forms this Kouji Minamoto could assume. He seemed to fit the exact definition of 'halfling'—born of a human and a Digimon. But my father did get a chance to see his parents, neither of whom was a Digimon. But Kouji was certainly not entirely human or entirely Digimon, just like with your cases. He was a slave who had been beaten and nearly killed. There were no records for him anywhere. Three weeks after their first encounter, my father was assassinated. Tai still blames Kouji for Dad's death."

"Your father may not have been able to find any information, but maybe you can," Tram-Anh suggested. "Look for a birthdate, a warrant, anything. There's a chance he didn't originate far from Mt. Fuji or Tokyo, so start there."

He searched through the hospital records of every district of Tokyo, as well as the surrounding towns and cities: Odaiba, nothing; Hikarigaoka, nothing; Tamachi, nothing; Shinjuku, nothing; Jiyuugaoka, nothing; Shibuya, nothing; Chiba, nothing; Yokohama, nothing; Moto-Azabu, nothing; Azabu-Jyuuban, nothing—no trace of a Kouji Minamoto anywhere.

"So far, he doesn't exist," he alerted.

"_Masaka_," Takuya declared. "Try a worldwide search."

"Better yet, let me try a search engine," he decided. He logged onto a search engine and typed in the romaji for "Minamoto" and carefully selected the correct kanji form before doing the same for the name "Kouji." "If this doesn't work, I'll try a different kanji form. But if he claims to be the Kaiser's brother, his given name would start off with 'light' and then 'two'…" He pressed the enter key and received only the numerous warrants for the fugitive Kouji Minamoto. "Well, there's no doubt in my mind that he's a fugitive, but it doesn't look like they're the same person. Look, this picture looks nothing like our guy."

"What about that newer post?" Skye asked. "The one that says 'Masaki Nishigawa' on it?"

"We might as well see," he admitted, clicking. "They were from the same town." A picture of the missing student appeared. "Here he is. Looks like somebody's been causing some trouble back home."

"Do you think he could be an agent for the Kaiser?" Skye questioned.

"It's possible, but not likely," Katrina replied. "The Kaiser would never use a slave as a mercenary—not unless he had some ulterior motive."

"The Black Ring…" Tram-Anh murmured.

"Huh?" Takuya asked.

"It's nothing. I just remembered something you all once said about Ken Ichijouji, the original Kaiser. He used Black Rings too, right?"

"Yeah," Tomoki replied. "He used them to control his slaves."

"That thing on Kouji's neck. I think it's a Black Ring."

Takuya stood up, burning in rage. "I should have known!"

"Takuya, I never said that he was under the Kaiser's influence," Tram-Anh reasoned.

"Sit down before you hurt yourself," Valerie ordered.

"No way. I'm going to have a little talk with our new friend here."

"Don't," Tailmon argued. Since she had been silent the whole time, her statement caught their attention. "I'll go talk to him. The rest of you plan for an attack. The Imperial Guard's closing in."

Takuya sat back down as Tailmon left. There was something eerily familiar about this conversation, and it was sending a cold shiver slowly up and down his spine.

-------  
Ki walked up to the entrance of the D.C./Fuji Resistance base. Quince Parker held out his latest weapon: a long wooden staff topped with the blade of a broken knife.

"Halt. Who goes there?"

"Knock it off, Quince," Ki reasoned. "You could kill somebody with that."

"Not with the blunt end."

"Still, don't point that at someone unless you intend to kill him. Got that?"

"Yeah."

"Did anyone new come in?"

"Yeah: an old friend of the Chosen's and her boyfriend."

"Their names?"

"Both of them had the name Moto-something."

Ki mentally kicked himself for asking Quince of all people to inform him when newcomers arrived. He could never remember specific details. "You're a lot of help," he informed sarcastically.

"Sorry. Uh, Izumi and Kouji—something like that."

"Finally! I've been waiting for them to get here!"

"They're your friends? Better let Kage and the rest of them know."

"Why?"

"Skye told me that they don't trust Kouji at all."

A sudden panic came over him as he realized the base was under Kouichi's control. Again, he mentally berated himself for not seeing it sooner. He had to find his friends before someone else did.

-------  
Tailmon walked up to Kouji and Izumi, who were talking quietly about their predicament.

"It doesn't make any sense," Izumi was saying. "How can his reach come this far?"

"I don't know. But this is definitely how he got everyone else in the worlds under his thumb," Kouji replied.

"But all of them… It's terrible. You're nameless again."

"That's not a problem for me."

"But still, it's not right for anyone to be entirely forgotten."

"Not entirely," Tailmon corrected before Kouji had the chance to speak. "Ki remembers, and so do I, Legendary Warrior of Light."

Surprised to be called that of all things, Kouji turned around to see Tailmon. She stood there, arms at her sides, watching him carefully with bright blue eyes.

"Ophanimon," he realized.

"What happened to Lopmon?" Izumi asked.

"Like me, he perfected evolution to Adult, but he can't stay in that form all the time like I can. Kouichi tried to get rid of us, but we both evolved from our Child levels and fought him. Wendimon—Lopmon—fought as much as he could, but in the end, Kouichi made us an offer we couldn't afford to refuse."

"What do you mean?" Izumi questioned.

"We were both under the impression that Kouji was dead, but Kouichi revealed that he wasn't—just captured, and he'd willingly trade for either Wendimon or me. Despite the fact that Patamon had been entrusted with the Spirits both of you now have, I knew I was most responsible for ensuring your safety, Kouji. I was the one that led you in your search for the Spirits in the first place. So I volunteered to take your place."

"But he betrayed you," Kouji observed. "He didn't let me go."

"I tried to rendezvous with you, but that Reiyama wouldn't let me get close. Finally, I encountered a woman that Kouichi seemed to hate almost as much as he hated me. The woman was about to escape, so I begged her to find a way to rescue you sooner or later. She wasn't able to, but she managed to help you rescue someone else."

"She was that woman!" he realized. "The one that helped Toshiko escape!"

Tailmon nodded. "When you finally did escape, Kouichi decided to play his trump card. After months of experimentation, he managed to curse my Holy Ring with the same power he used on the Black Ring. I was under his power for three years." Kouji felt a tinge of guilt. As heir to AncientGarurumon's power, he was supposed to protect her, not the other way around.

"So did Lopmon escape?" Izumi asked.

"Yes, he did. Last I heard, he was training and building up his power while searching for Patamon so the Three Great Angels could be revived."

"Would that allow you to reach the Ultimate level?" Kouji questioned.

"I don't know, but even if we could reach the Perfect level, it would be some help. I know I'm strong as Angewomon, and if that's any indication, Antiramon and HolyAngemon will be just as strong, if not stronger."

"But how did Kouichi manage to block everyone's memories?" Kouji asked.

"I'm not sure how, but I know when it happened. It all started back in June, with the Masaki Nishigawa case. The other Chosen managed to figure out you were Masaki, but something went wrong. When your identity was revealed, we were all waiting for you and Izumi to rendezvous with us, so Takuya decided that we should all meet you at the Flame Terminal. When we got there, Kouichi personally came and attacked us. Anyone who could evolved to his or her highest levels, trying to defeat him. But he managed to harness the powers of his corrupted Spirits of Darkness, and everyone fell too easily. He held out that D-scanner of his and began sending a strand of dark DigiCode at us, but…"

"But what?" Izumi questioned, clearly intrigued.

"There was a girl standing on the platform of the terminal. She was holding out what looked like a pink-and-white D-scanner. She neutralized the DigiCode, but only from me. I could see she was angry about not being able to do more, but it was enough to frighten Kouichi. He began mumbling something about the light, and if the light was here, then the others must be too. Then he disappeared."

"His astral form," Kouji realized. "The same form he took when he came to the Digital World last time. He'd been working on it so he could be able to handle problems in both our world and this one."

"Sounds like he finally lost it," Izumi commented.

"I don't know," he replied. "Kouichi's gotten a lot saner since he mistook me for Osamu Ichijouji. I don't think he's losing his mind. He's referring to something important, but I don't know what it's supposed to mean."

"I wish I could help more, but that's all I know," Tailmon apologized.

"You helped us enough," Kouji answered. "Thank you, Tailmon."

"It was good to see you again, warriors," she replied, bowing in respect.

As the two humans walked away toward the river, Takuya watched from behind a tree. False memories plagued his mind, all brought on by Kouichi. Some of these invented memories were incomplete: just fights he and Kouji had had from time to time. As the memory of Kouji grabbing him prior to an attack by Duskmon and pressing him against a wall returned, he clenched his fists in anger.

_Whatever that guy's up to, he won't succeed with it, _he promised. _I'll see to that._

-------  
After searching around for a while, Ki finally managed to locate his friends at the river. They were refilling their canteens, and looked ready to leave. After what he'd figured out, he couldn't blame them.

"Kouji! Izumi!" he called.

"Ki!" Izumi called back. "We've got something to talk about!"

"Sorry I didn't meet you at Seraphimon's castle," he apologized. "A Cyberdramon kept following me. But I'm glad to see you made it here."

"Have you noticed anything particularly weird here?" Izumi asked.

"Now that you mention it, I have." He gave a brief description of his conversation with Quince. "I guess you've figured that one out on you own."

"And more," Kouji added. He went into full detail of everything Tailmon had told them. Ki listened attentively, and shook his head at the end.

"She should have told me," he commented. "Figures she wouldn't."

"What?" Kouji questioned.

"Never mind. But I really should have known this was going to happen, judging by Kouichi's style."

"His style?" Izumi repeated.

Ki nodded. "In most of his workings, he's mocking us, and everyone who knows anything about Ken Ichijouji. He copies events from the past—say the 'random coincidence' that Gotsumon's blow darts injected the bacterium into a victim's neck, just the same as how the Dark Seeds entered a person's body. Even some of his soldiers held a clue to that pattern: Tailmon, who just happened to be Hikari Yagami's partner Digimon, and Cyberdramon, the jogress of Monodramon and ZeedMillenniumon. And wouldn't you know it? Cyberdramon's Tamer is Ryo Akiyama, the only other person in the world that Ken could honestly call his _niisan_. Of course, you already know about the Black Rings, and even his base is the same as Ken's! There's no trace of Kouichi left! He _is _the Kaiser now."

"Just like you said it would happen," Izumi told Kouji.

"And there's even a connection in how he tortured you," Ki informed solemnly.

"What do you mean?"

"What Kouichi did to you is terrible—there's no denying that. But it's also exactly what Ken would have done to Osamu had he been alive. That is the one reason for why I can honestly say I am grateful that he died." There was a brief sorrowful silence before he continued. "And as for the memory loss…"

"Allow me to answer that," interrupted an ominously familiar voice. A dark shadow passed overhead, revealing Kouichi Kimura in his dark attire. Duskmon's crimson blade was in his right hand, ready to be used at a moment's notice. His left was concealed in his cape. "Just after his reformation, Ken discovered he could barely remember anything from before he became the Kaiser. And Ryo Akiyama developed amnesia from dimension and time traveling when he was battling ZeedMillenniumon. Interesting concept, is it not, halfling?"

"Everything you say to me applies to you too, brother," Kouji replied calmly.

"What binds us as brothers now?" Kouichi demanded. "It certainly isn't our Spirits, as you now have none. Destiny? Ha! I am the most powerful being in two worlds, and you are simply an escaped slave—a mutant. And as for our blood… How many milliliters did that stranger donate to you? A hundred? More? Your own blood was nearly depleted. Now that stranger's DNA has combined with your own. Your blood is still mixing. You're tainted."

"Our blood may be different, but we are still brothers," Kouji answered, struggling to maintain the level of his voice.

"You are not a brother. You are no more than an accident. Two children were born instead of one."

"And since you're the elder, you're the true child, am I right?" Ki guessed. "'All the world's a stage, and the men and women in it are merely actors…'—Shakespeare. Describes you pretty well, doesn't it?"

"Interesting talk from someone who shields his face. What is the purpose of your hood? Why don't you remove it?"

"Remove your mask, and I will be more than willing to remove mine," Ki replied.

Disgusted by the concept that he was wearing a mask, Kouichi ignored Ki and turned to Kouji.

"And as for you," he addressed. "The time of the Light has reached its end. Surrender, and I guarantee that things will be a lot easier on your friends. They won't suffer quite as much."

"And if I refuse?"

"Always answering one question with another," Kouichi observed. "Why do I even bother anymore?" Finally, he withdrew his hand from his cape, revealing the laser gun he'd taken from Kouji months ago. He held his finger on the dummy trigger, prepared to shoot.

"Ki, Izumi, run," Kouji ordered as calmly as possible. Fallen leaves crunched under their feet as they ran to find the others. Kouichi smirked. "What?"

"So _that's _how it works."

In one terrifying instant, he pressed the real trigger, sending a paralyzing red beam toward the escaping Chosen. Ignoring his own safety, Kouji turned in horror and ran to its victim.

There is a sector of the brain that begins the spinal cord. It is called the brain stem, and it regulates all functions of the body—both the central and autonomic nervous systems. A blow to the brain stem is almost always fatal.

Kouji could only remember two times in his entire life when he'd ever cried. The first had been when Hippogriffmon and Dalkmon managed to turn human-types and beast-types against each other. The tears then had been an accident, leaving his eyes after he'd taken a shot from the cannon on a tank. The second time he'd cried was when he and the others had burst into a hospital to find Kouichi unresponsive to a defibrillator. His tears had at least been useful, helping the wandering spirit of Kouichi reenter his body. But as he knelt next to Izumi, frantically trying to get her to breathe, deliberate tears streamed down his face, unable to help anyone.

"Come on, breathe," he whispered. "Breathe!" He'd seen her use rescue breathing enough times to try himself. He blew into her mouth and listened for breath while watching her chest for breathing movements. After three seconds, he repeated the process, over and over. Ki didn't have the heart to tell him it was pointless.

"There is a way to save her, but you have to agree to forfeit your life as you know it—surrender," Kouichi stated. "The choice is yours: her life or yours. Which will go?"

"I…I forfeit," Kouji whispered.

"What was that?" Kouichi asked.

"I forfeit!" Kouichi grinned as Kouji completely broke down, choking on his own tears.

"You still have the armor of Beowulfmon, am I correct?"

"Yes. Most of it."

"Excellent. As long as you have the shells of the Spirits, this will work."

As Kouichi walked over, his D-scanner replacing the gun, Kouji turned to Ki. "Get her out of here when it's over, please." Ki nodded, and the black digivice was placed against the ring, in the traditional spot at the back of the neck.

Once again, the cold numbness filled Kouji's muscles. His consciousness was pushed back into the deepest, darkest recesses of his mind, where he could not form verbal thought. His heart and breathing rates synchronized to Kouichi's orders. His vision was clouded, like he was looking through a shard of dirty glass. He was dead, but at the same time alive. It was the same as being connected to life support; every part of him was controlled by someone else.

Without his form changing in any way, his armor covered his body. The repaired helmet slipped down his face a little bit as he leaned closer to Izumi and began CPR—a process he'd never learned. After several seconds, Izumi coughed and began breathing again.

"She's been without oxygen too long," Ki realized. "There's brain damage. She won't be the same."

"Watch," Kouichi instructed. Kouji placed his hand on her forehead. His hand began glowing light blue, causing Izumi's eyes to momentarily open. "That's why I had him use his Spirits. The power of Light has a healing effect, even if it tends to effect the bearer's health."

"Are you referring to Kouji Minamoto or Hikari Yagami?" Ki asked.

Kouichi scowled. This young man knew far too much for his own good. "I suggest you keep your promise now," he advised menacingly, "or I may not be so kind later."

Without saying a word, Ki scooped up Izumi and left. There was one good thing about her being unconscious: She didn't have to see what happened to Kouji, did she?

"Kage! Takuya!" Ki called, running through the D.C./Fuji central command. His desperate cries for help eventually caught Quince's attention, and he ran over to see to the problem, lance in hand.

"What happened?" he questioned, seeing the unconscious Izumi.

"Where's Kage?" Ki asked.

"In the Inner Circle still."

"Get him to call for back-up. Kouichi is here."

"And let me guess," Takuya assumed, walking toward them. "That Kouji guy led him here."

"No, Takuya, Kouji is not the enemy," Ki reasoned. He had a sudden knowledge of how Daisuke Motomiya must have felt when he was trying to convince the other Chosen on Ken's innocence. "Kouichi brought the Black Ring back to life. If anything, that ring is the enemy. Now, take Izumi and try to get her to a Trailmon while Quince gets the Chiba/Beijing Resistance. One of you has to tell Kage that it's time to leave this world."

"What are you going to do?" Quince asked.

"Whatever I can. Remember, don't point that lance at someone unless you intend to kill them."

With those last words of advice, he ran of to his last location. Takuya debated joining him, but he had to see to it that Izumi was in safe hands.

"Kage!" he called.

-------  
Ki arrived at the riverbank to find Kouichi continually striking Kouji with his sword. Seeing no suitable weapon, he dug up a handful of clay and threw it at the teenaged Kaiser. Almost as though sensing it, he slashed his sword at it, reflecting the mud into Ki's face.

"Returned for a fight, have you?" he asked.

"If that's what you want."

"Fine then." Kouichi looked at Kouji, who managed to draw forth his Licht Siegers from his H-Spirit. He then activated one, though not in a Z shape like he usually would. The white-blue light beam flickered and glowed as if threatening Ki.

"I've been forced to fight against those destined to be my friends for endless years," Ki informed. "One more will not make a difference."

Kouji began advancing toward Ki, no life in his movements. The other Chosen shook his head in disappointment: his good friend, honest intentions, now reduced to no more than a slave. He might not have been able to save Kouji from enslavement, but he could at least spare him the guilt and responsibility of the first advance. That decided, he charged Kouji, throwing him into the water.

The Licht Sieger slashed at him, but he narrowly dodged it, causing the light blade to hit the water. But this narrow miss also caused Ki to lose his balance, and he fell into the river. Kouji pressed him down, forcing Ki to frantically struggle as he tried to get up, but the only thing he succeeded in was losing his hood and matting his hair with red clay.

Several bubbles rose to the surface and then finally stopped, indicating a stop in breathing. Kouji stopped applying pressure and began walking away, only to feel a large wad of black mud hurled into his face. Ki jumped up, almost unrecognizable due to the clay and mud on his face and caked in his hair. He lunged for Kouji and swiftly grabbed the unlit Licht Sieger. He switched it on and made an imperceptible bow. The battle was on an even playing ground now.

-------  
Quince dashed through the forest, desperately trying to reach the Chiba/Beijing base. But before he could even get half a kilometer away, a LadyDevimon appeared.

"Darkness Wave!"

Surprised by the ambush, he hit the ground. Determined to get past, he got up and jabbed his lance upward, but the Fallen Angel Digimon deftly grabbed the blade.

"Little boys shouldn't be playing with knives," she stated, crushing the sharp blade in her hand. "Now, I hope you weren't planning to fight me." He held his lance, but his hands were trembling with fear. It was all right to be charging into battle with Fladramon or any of his friends at his side, but he was facing danger head-on, alone.

Quickly, he hit her in the ribs, but there was no effect. Desperate, he tried her left shoulder, but the demon residing there took a large bite out of the wood. Quince brought his lance down and looked at the bite in absolute terror. There was no way he could win now!

"Heaven's Charm!"

Again, he jumped out of the way as this time, a rose-colored light wave careened into LadyDevimon.

"I should have known," the fallen angel realized as her DigiCode appeared.

"Scan it, quick!" Angewomon ordered.

"DigiCode Scan!" Quince cried, hurriedly absorbing every speck of data.

"Quickly," the former digital goddess urged, "we must get to the castle. The Chosen need help now." She scooped him up and carefully, but quickly, carried him to the other side of the forest.

-------  
Cyberdramon sniffed the air as the wind blew an unfamiliar scent to his sensitive nostrils.

"Is it an enemy?" Taiyou asked.

"No. Resistance, I think: a human and a Digimon. The Digimon holds an aura of great power, even greater than either Kouji Minamoto or Izumi Orimoto possessed."

"Hmm," Taiyou replied. "How fast are they approaching?"

"Fast enough to be concerned about, even if they aren't Imperials."

Taiyou narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips together. "How long before they get here?"

"Ten minutes, tops."

"Tai?" Tori questioned.

"Tori, tell Liu to get ready. We're about to have some visitors. Again."

-------  
Swordplay is a graceful art. Ignore the blades and concentrate on the movements: step, block, twirl, slash… It is no longer a fight, but a dance, whirling around endlessly in an uncaring galaxy.

Whirring, hissing, and cracking were heard as the two Licht Siegers struck each other throughout the dance. Sweat beaded down Ki's forehead, underneath hair so matted with clay that it was sticking up and out in every which way. He could think of several movies he'd seen that this fight most likely resembled, but with more than his own life on the line, science fiction didn't matter. Fate was to be the determining factor—yes, fate and skill.

Another narrowly missed slash toward Ki's dirtied face and it became apparent that Kouji was tiring. Though he was unable to show it, it was evident that the constant sword fighting was taking its told on him. His controlled breathing was deeper and faster, and sweat appeared to be rolling down his face.

"Growing tired?" Kouichi mocked. "You're free to stop whenever you want…"

"Kouichi!" interrupted a familiar voice.

"Takuya?" Ki recognized.

"Ah, so now the Legendary Warrior of Fire arrives to aid his comrades," Kouichi noticed.

"I thought I told you to get Izumi to a Trailmon," Ki reprimanded.

"I know, but I knew I had to come back and help. So I left Izumi with Tram-Anh. She's going to get her to the Trailmon. Izumi's in good hands, really."

"What a heartfelt sentiment," Kouichi commented, sarcasm dripping in his voice. "How noble friendship is."

"You know, I'm getting sick and tired of hearing you talk," Takuya replied. "Spirit Evolution! Agnimon!"

"Agnimon, keep him busy as long as possible," Ki instructed. "I'll try and figure out how to break Kouji's ring."

"You won't be able to succeed," Kouichi informed. "As long as I exist, that ring will hold your friend captive."

Ki frowned as his blade connected with Kouji's again. _That's not the way the old ones worked, _he thought. _If Kouichi's right, then we'll have to kill him in order to save Kouji._

"Shut up!" Agnimon ordered. "Salamander Break!"

Kouji made another slash at Ki, but the mysterious Chosen kicked the warrior's feet out from underneath him and overtook him with a judo throw. Carefully, he removed the other Licht Sieger and let Kouji hit the ground. When the Warrior of Light got up and advanced, Ki fended him off with both weapons. Despite the fact that he'd never done sword fighting before, he caught on to the art very quickly and performed beautifully with two weapons.

If the fight looked like a dance before, it certainly was now. Ki made a low hit with the left saber and a slash toward the shoulder with the right. As he was right-handed, Kouji was able to block the left, but the hard light beam was able to dent the armor on his shoulder. Swiftly, Ki spun around, scoring a double hit with both weapons to Kouji's side. Finally, he brought his left saber up to Kouji's right temple; he had to knock him unconscious. But the white-blue light illuminated Kouji's face enough to reveal his eyes.

After four years, Ki thought he'd seen all the clues to mind control. Under Ken Ichijouji, Black Ring victims had glowing red, bloodshot eyes. Under Kouichi Kimura, the controlled had darkly shadowed eyes. Even the two Kaisers had shown a sign! At the age of nine, in the Dark Ocean, the Kaiser's influence caused something to be overshadowed in Ken's eyes, a "spark of life" that disappeared. The same spark was absent in Kouichi's eyes during his time as Duskmon and Velgmon. But Kouji's eyes were still deep blue, sparkling with life and tears. The look in them said, "I'm sorry. Kill me before I can do anything more."

"Takuya!" Ki shouted. "Forget Kouichi! I need your help!"

"What?" Agnimon questioned.

"When I tell you, fire at Kouji!"

"Are you nuts? That'll kill him!"

"Not if we do it right." He made a double strike, restraining Kouji's arms. "Now, fire!"

Kouichi froze in shock. Somewhere in the back of his mind, that voice and those words haunted him. But from where? And when?

"Burning Salamander!"

Agnimon poured forth all of his power, causing him to devolve. The flames rushed at Kouji as Ki jumped out of the way. He took the full hit and went flying. Immediately, Ki rushed over to his friend and carefully lifted him into a sitting position. Next, he pressed his own digivice against the back of Kouji's neck and pressed a button. The numbness disappeared, as did the armor. The sabers, however, remained in Ki's hands. Satisfied with the results, he placed his digivice back in his pocket and helped Kouji to his feet.

"What did you do?" Kouji asked.

"I neutralized the Black Ring," he explained. "Now we'd better escape. Hopefully, Takuya called for back-up."

"No."

"What?"

"I'm not running. I've avoided this battle long enough. I'm going to fight him."

Ki nodded in comprehension. "I'm sure that if he was here, Osamu would be proud. And were he in your place, he'd join you. I know Ken would do the same."

Kouji took the Licht Siegers and charged at Kouichi, who revealed another blade and accepted the battle. The weapons struck each other endlessly in a savage rush of adrenaline and sweat. As neither scored a satisfactory enough blow to the other, a loud shout rang through the forest:

"Erase Claw!"

The attack narrowly missed the fighting warriors, striking the ground as they both tumbled out of the way. Kouichi stabbed one of his swords in a small pile of mast while Kouji pulled himself out of the mud and clay. A small hole appeared in the ground where the attack hit, but neither of them cared.

"Missed," Taiyou observed.

"Still good enough," Kage replied.

"Where's Quince?" Ki checked.

"He and Tailmon entered the Trailmon," Valerie answered. "Everyone is waiting."

"What are those two doing?" Taiyou asked. "That little halfling is really beginning to push me to the limit."

Kouji finally dropped his sabers and began fighting with every martial arts technique he'd been taught for the past three years. Kouichi fought back with everything that he was, but nothing could stop either of them. Valerie watched, intrigued.

"They really _are_ brothers," she realized.

"All right," Takuya addressed, "who are you, and what have you done with Valerie?"

"Just watch them fight," she instructed. "There are no rules. In every form of combat, there is a set of rules, but they aren't using any. My nieces and nephews fight the same way."

Kouji was knocked over at the river's edge. Kouichi slashed down with one blade, but Kouji deftly caught it between his hands. In a single instant, the sword became the whip, and a surge of electricity coursed from it. The skin on his hands began to melt with the heat.

"Blazing Ice!"

A sudden blast of ice hit Kouichi's hand, freezing it. Kouji rapidly got up and headed for the others. Ki grabbed Kouji's bag and sabers, knowing he would never be able to hold them.

"Hurry up!" Takuya ordered. "We have to get to the Trailmon!"

"BlackWarGreymon, help Kouji!" Kage ordered. The Ultimate lifted Kouji onto his shoulders and flew off to the Trailmon. This time, no one could afford to miss it.

Meanwhile, Kouichi turned his attention to the source of the ice storm. A brown-and-pink rabbit-like Digimon stood there, staring at him with dark brown eyes.

"I should have guessed it would be you," Kouichi commented. Master stared at student, and student stared at master. There was a long silence before he drew his blade and attacked.

"Lopmon evolve! Wendimon!"

If the battle of brother against brother was bad enough, student against teacher was worse.

-------  
The burn specialist at the hospital, Dr. Linn, peeled away the last of the skin cell paper from Kouji's hands. She looked at the shiny red skin underneath and commented things in Cantonese that he hoped were good.

"Your hands have healed well," she informed in English. "I can barely find the burns. You were lucky. Second-degree burns usually accompany third-degree, or can upgrade to them. We didn't need to do any surgery. Just keep exercising your hands to rehabilitate them. They won't completely heal for another two years. There may be some scar tissue, but you'll be fine." He nodded, but a distant look in his eyes indicated that his mind was elsewhere. Dr. Linn carefully scrubbed his hands with a washcloth, then dried and bandaged them, being sure to cautiously wrap each finger individually. When the job was finished, she exited, and Sakiko entered with a pile of black clothes.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" she checked. He nodded as Ki walked in, his head covered as usual.

"Don't go overboard," he advised the Gothic former slave. "He's only going to be disguised until he can meet my contacts in New York. They have some clothes ready that they brought with them or bought, and they'll take over from there."

"I only gathered as much as I thought was necessary," she assured. She then handed Kouji the clothes and shut the door. After several minutes, he emerged in a black T-shirt, black jeans with chains on the sides, a Celtic cross, and black gloves over his bandaged hands. Ki handed him a leather jacket on loan from Zyun, and Sakiko marveled at the transformation.

"Look for two teenagers wearing these symbols on denim jackets," Ki instructed, handing Kouji a sketch of a flower and a comet. "They'll meet you at the ice rink at the address given. Whatever you do, don't give your real name. The Freeport-Baldwin-Oceanside area is Resistance territory, but there are enough Imperials roaming around New York for you to worry. My contacts gave you the name Gabriel, but don't use it at the rink. They'll hopefully find you before the Imperial Guard does. And take these." He handed over two folded black cell phones. "Kage secured the lines on these. You'll be able to keep in contact with Izumi when she wakes up."

"Thank you," he replied, the first thing he'd said in seven days.

He walked toward Izumi's room, not expecting to see anyone. Her family was still in hiding, and due to the chaos of relocation, no one had really had the time to visit her. So he was surprised to see a tall man dressed in the garb of a Catholic priest standing over her with a Bible, praying.

"Father Chen?" Kouji recognized. The priest turned in response to his name.

"Hello. Your friend Ki asked me to come here and pray for her. He said he was hoping for a miracle that probably only God could give."

Kouji sat down in a chair next to Izumi's bed and recalled their first encounter with the man, back when they were thirteen. They'd been running from the Imperial Guard when they'd managed to reach a Resistance worship center out in the woods.

"Are you here for the morning service?" an usher asked.

"Yes," Izumi answered. "But along the way, the Imperial Guard chased us."

"They are not able to venture into these woods," the usher informed. "The Digimon protecting this place can pick up any sign of them."

Knowing it was better to stay in the center than run for the settlement, they entered. A small bowl of holy water was placed next to the door. Izumi dipped her right hand in it and made a sign of the cross. Feeling awkward and out of his element, Kouji did the same.

The service lasted forty-five minutes, and it was unlike anything he'd ever seen. Izumi was Catholic—baptized during her years in Italy. The other Chosen were all Buddhist, while Kouji hadn't been raised under any religion. His mother had been Buddhist, which did him a world of good considering that he hadn't known she lived for years. His father was an agnostic, questioning his belief in everything. And Satomi was no better. She was a Shinto only by family tradition; she really didn't believe in the ancient religion. The closest thing he'd had to a religion was the knowledge that he was heir to one of the Legendary Warriors, and it had never really been something he'd thought much about, even though it hadn't been enough for him. He was glad that his family agreed that he was old enough to decide his own religion and let him be baptized and confirmed. Whenever Kouri was old enough, she would be given the same freedom of decision.

"Is something wrong?" Father Chen questioned, observing the silence in the boy.

"Do you think what I'm doing is right?"

"Sometimes running from something is the only way to save others. Back when China was governed by the Communists, preaching Christianity was illegal. In order to save my parishioners, I transferred to a small church in Kawasaki, and eventually found my way to the Resistance worship center. Now, some of those I used to preach to are fighting this war, trying to win back the fragile peace that was so painfully taken from us. That is what I am praying for: for Izumi to recover, and for this endless bloodshed to cease.

"Keep praying, Father," Kouji replied. "We need those prayers now."

Momentarily, he held Izumi's hand in his own, praying for the miracle that would take so long to come. He came to realize that Kouichi could not be his brother anymore, and was simply now and enemy he'd have to defeat. And he vowed to do just that. He vowed to fight with his love, his anger, and all of his sorrow.__

_Masaka: impossible, no way_

_Niisan: same as onii-san_****

**As a note to Raven Nightstrider: Yes, I do write this all out before I post. I got the idea from Nic (Ken's luver) and her brilliant work on "Weight of the Worlds." And yes, I had to make these guys older. Wars don't end in five months—it has to be much longer. **

**There was only a minute thing of religion, and it was basically in honor of a friend of mine who has the same dilemma right now. Got a problem, don't complain to me about it. It was only for a friend.**

**BlackWarGreymon i****s not the same one in _02_. ****That swordfight was from _Star Wars_,**** with Ki's thing with both Licht Siegers being from Anakin. ****_G Gundam _provided the last line of the chapter.**


	18. Kaze ni Mukatte

_"Facing toward the wind, facing toward the rain_  
_Just looking at my feet  
__The me from that day  
__Is alone but all right  
__I've truly changed."  
__Jyou Kido—"Kaze ni Mukatte"  
__(Translated by Riah-chan)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Thirteen: "Kaze ni Mukatte"

Kouji walked along the New York mall, avoiding any undue attention as he casually made his way to the ice rink. Momentarily, he glanced at the drawings of the flower and the comet, wondering how on Earth he was supposed to find these contacts. But Ki had implied that the two contacts would find him, and not the other way around. Still, even with that slight reassurance, there was still no meeting time. For all he knew, he'd have to spend the whole day there before he even caught a glimpse of the agents.

An every-man-for-himself styled hockey game was ferociously ruling the ice. Momentarily, Kouji was able to see a player with a gold comet on his jacket, underneath all his hockey gear. Quickly, he rented the gear he needed and placed his bag in a locker.

As he laced up his skates, he could hear whispers of derogatory comments aimed at him: "punk," "Goth," "skater boy" (whatever _that_ was supposed to mean), "mutant," and "halfling." On those last two words, his blood ran cold. Someone here knew who he was.

"Don't listen to them," urged a girl in black hockey gear. "They're just not used to outsiders."

"Yeah," he commented, hoping he only sounded like he was trying to answer softly.

"Come on," the girl urged. "My friend and I decided to form a small team, if such a thing is possible in this game." For some reason, the word "friend" seemed hard for her to say. "You want to join?"

"Maybe later," he replied, getting onto the ice. "I'm looking for someone right now."

"All right," she answered, quickly skating off. "See you later."

But as she disappeared, Kouji managed to see a large pink flower stitched on the arm of her denim jacket.

"Wait!" he called, just before getting slammed by another player.

"No one's going to wait for you," the player informed.

The girl skated to a stop next to her partner, the player with the gold comet.

"So where is he?" he asked with more than a little annoyance in his voice.

"Don't worry. He's coming." Her voice no longer held the friendly tone she'd shown to Kouji. Instead, it was cold and angry.

"It _is_ him, right?" he checked.

"I know who I saw," she affirmed. "That was him."

Fighting Kouichi may have been difficult, and slave labor may have been brutal, but this was nearly downright impossible! It was a flat-out blood fest! All Kouji could see were the blurred figures of players racing for the puck. A couple of times, he managed to get it in the unguarded goals, but his focus was on searching for the two contacts, not on scoring personal goals.

The puck slid over to the girl and her partner. Immediately, Kouji skated over to get to them, but a player with long silver hair shoved him across the ice. He slid and hit the wall, only to feel a severe beating from her.

"Look!" the female contact alerted. "It's him!"

"But who's that attacking him?" her partner questioned.

Briefly, she squinted. "It's Sakuyamon!"

"Keep everyone else from interfering!" he ordered. Aiming with the most meticulous precision, he sent the puck flying into Sakuyamon's back. She turned and viciously began searching for the culprit, but the other players swarmed on the puck. While she dealt with the bloodthirsty humans, the two agents helped Kouji skate off the ice.

Kouji and his contacts removed their skates and gear and returned them before retrieving their things from the lockers. Though the two acted like they had no connection to him, the guy slipped Kouji a brown paper bag and discreetly pointed to a restroom.

"Change," he mouthed.

After several minutes, Kouji exited in a dark red turtleneck with navy blue jeans, a dark gray fleece jacket, and a pair of black sneakers. His "Gothic" clothes were in the bag, ready to be mailed back to Hong Kong.

"It's not safe to talk here," the girl warned.

"Come on," her partner urged, "we'll take you somewhere safer."

After taking a train and a bus, the trio took refuge in a bagel shop near the Long Island town of Freeport. They chose a booth and each ordered a bagel for breakfast, and the male contact paid for a carton of orange juice. Once all their food and drink was collected, they sat down and set forth introductions.

"I'm Kaitlyn Hayes," the girl introduced, removing a beige beret from her long brown hair. She then gestured to her blond-haired, blue-eyed partner. "He's Adam Hunter."

"Then I guess I'm Gabriel," Kouji answered.

"Only in public," Adam replied. "We don't want to overuse your name."

"We'll have to," Kaitlyn argued. "You saw the way Sakuyamon was attacking him. We can't risk having him be known by any other name." Adam grunted in disgust. "I don't care. We have to protect him, and that's that. I'd hate to tell the others that you risked his life just to go by-the-book."

"I don't ever remember you being this argumentative," he muttered. Kouji began feeling very uncomfortable, as well as a little annoyed. Why on Earth would Ki team him up with two contacts who could not get along?

-------  
Sakuyamon jumped from rooftop to rooftop of New York City, desperately trying to locate Kouji. It had taken quite a while to disentangle herself from the savage humans who were vying for the puck like some slaves would for a single scrap of food. And when she did find him, she'd pay that little mutant back for every bit of trouble he'd given her since their first encounter. And she planned on being there for his capture and return to Cell 24. She'd enjoy—no, _savor_—every pinnacle of torture given to him. Her violet lips curled into a smile at the thought of this.

_Soon, very soon,_ she thought as she scanned the crowd. Despite his caution and existence as a "halfling," Kouji Minamoto was still partially human. And humans were ignorant by nature; they made mistakes too easily. That was what they were most known for: their mistakes, such as the ones that brought forth the Digital World in the first place.

_I'll find you,_ she promised.

-------  
Ki cautiously made his way through the jungles of Mexico, searching through every Mayan or Aztec ruin he'd encountered along the way. Kouichi's base was _not _in any of the Latin American countries, and he planned on making a point of that to Koushiro Izumi and Wallace Ford. Finally, after seething in anger for several minutes, he approached a helicopter provided by a Resistance pilot.

"_Hola_, Ki," the pilot greeted.

"_Hola,_ Martinez," Ki replied. The rest of the conversation took place in English. Though Ki knew enough conversational Spanish to get by, he preferred to speak in a language he'd already mastered.

"You weren't able to locate anything?"

"No. And I'm going to really give it to Koushiro and Wallace for making me come all the way out here. I guess the United Kingdom is next."

"What are you going to do about the Zachary problem?" Martinez asked.

"Kouji will have to go with him. I pity him."

"Which one?"

"Both. Either Kouji's going to be annoyed to the point where he commits suicide, or he's going to be annoyed to the point where he 'accidentally' shoves Zachary off an ice flow. Sure, he's not that bad, but who knows how Kouji will react to him? If he fought with Takuya so often, he'll probably do the same with Zachary unless Zachary's changed in the three years I was afraid to speak to him." He removed a small computer terminal from his pocket and checked his e-mail. Kage informed him that there seemed to be no problem in China, and Koushiro informed him that the reading in England had been a miscalculation, and the next stop would be Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. He groaned a little bit, but anything was better than Mexico—_anything._ "Next stop, Jakarta."

-------  
Kouji Minamoto/Gabriel Lee sat in a geometry class in the Resistance high school of Freeport High. He scribbled down a few notes in an odd combination of English, katakana, and kanji as the teacher reviewed Algebra I as it applied to this different kind of math. He was trying to pay attention, but the recovering burns on his hands were beginning to ache. Momentarily, he placed down his pencil and flexed his fingers, trying to stretch the new skin a little and keep his muscles from cramping.

"Gabriel, is something wrong?" the teacher questioned, looking up from the overhead. With her concerned question, the attention of the entire class turned to the student with the bandaged hands.

"Nothing," he answered quietly, picking up his pencil and writing again. Further up the row, Kaitlyn cringed. No one had planned on his injuries. Sure, it was easy enough to hide a Black Ring, but burns were a different case entirely. Who knew that Resistance students would be so curious about his hands?

Meanwhile, in English class, Adam was having his own problems. The class was instructed to write a composition on a battle or terrorist's disaster. The only restriction was that they could not write about the September 11th disaster. While everyone else was writing about a war long past or a battle from this current war, Adam had taken it upon himself to write of a battle the other world's Chosen had faced.

"Adam, please read your essay," the teacher requested.

"'The devil king towered above the young warriors, spreading an aura of fear and despair,'" he read. "'Nostalgia struck them all as they remembered what they had faced one cold January. And as they looked into the blue eyes of the devil, they wondered how it all could have come down to this. The fellowship had completely broken apart, just as in Tolkien's book. Only this time, there was no ring, but a single key. Even though the true item was not the literary One Ring, it was just as desired, and it too could bring about the end of all they knew. But as they looked up into the terrifying cerulean eyes of the demon king, it was suddenly apparent to them that the breaking of their friendship was meaningless. A friendship reaching out for over three years had been wasted for nothing. And over what? A single vision—that was what. One vision of destruction broke apart a friendship that had survived the forges of Hell. And it seemed they were at that summit again. The brunette girl from which the light originated held a small device close to her heart, refusing to give up. If they were going to pass through the Gates of Hell, they were not going to give Satan such an easy time…'"

"Adam, sit down," the teacher informed. "I don't argue that this is an excellent story, but I intended for you to write of a historical battle, and more in essay form than narrative form. But because of your description and details, I'll let it slide. Now, somebody else? Ah, Nic, why don't you try?"

As the girl rose and delivered her essay, Adam glanced at the paper on his desk. He'd poured his heart and soul into it, and had worked hard to change pictorial imagery into verbal imagery. And what was it to the teacher? Worthless. Mournfully, he stuffed it into his pocket and listened to the other compositions as he waited for the bell to ring, releasing him into lunch, where he would be able to meet up with Kouji and Kaitlyn.

The cafeteria proved to be just as much of a hassle for Kouji as the geometry class was. Students had originally been whispering about various subjects important to them, including a narrative Adam had written, but when Gabriel Lee's name came up, all attention was focused on that. The main subject, though, was the origins of his burned hands.

"I heard it was an accident in chemistry at his old school. Acid, you know?"

"Acid? You crazy? It had to be a fire…"

"Nah, they're electrical. He probably touched something during a surge…"

"Only you'd be dumb enough to do that…"

Becoming thoroughly sick of the gossip, Kouji walked to the table where Adam and Kaitlyn were sitting (though, of course, not making eye contact) and loudly slammed his tray down. In normal cafeterias, pre-Kaiser days, the action was drowned out in a roar of loud talking. But the fear of capture forced students to speak in hushed whispers, and the sudden sound of the tray against the table caused them to jump out of their seats in shocked silence. When they saw Kouji looking at them with an annoyed glare in his sapphire eyes, they knew he'd heard them. Unnerved by the coolness of the stranger, they changed the subject to anything other than Gabriel Lee. Occasionally, fugitive Kouji Minamoto was mentioned, or his alias Masaki Nishigawa, but never Gabriel Lee.

"You know how to get people to shut up," Adam observed.

"Learned it in Kouichi's slave camp," he whispered back as he sat down.

"Did you hear anything from Hong Kong?" Kaitlyn asked.

"No. I guess Izumi's not conscious yet."

"That must be terrible," she sympathized. "How are you able to live being separated from the one you love?"

"I survive because I have to," Kouji replied. "Either of you hear from Ki?"

"He e-mailed me last period, during English," Adam explained. "When the teacher wasn't looking, I checked it. He said there weren't any clues to Kouichi's whereabouts in Mexico, so he's heading for Indonesia."

"Did he send us any instructions?" Kouji checked.

"He wants us to check around the city. I tried to e-mail him about the Sakuyamon incident, but the batteries ran out. I need to buy two double-As after school." He opened a package of Smucker's Uncrustables peanut butter and jelly and bit into the round sandwich, immediately making a face. "And I need to buy something to eat after this. Ugh!" He grabbed his milk carton and quickly drank half of its contents in hope that the foul aftertaste would be gone. Kouji passed him a banana out of pity, and Kaitlyn (not wanting to seem completely insensitive) handed over half of her ham-and-cheese-on-rye. "Thanks," Adam replied.

"I've got to help out at the dance class," Kaitlyn informed.

"Okay, Adam and I can go shopping, and we'll pick you up when we're done," Kouji decided. "Anything you need us to get?"

"Just some rice. I'm so glad Yamato, Taichi, and Sora taught me to cook, even if it was just simple rice dishes."

"Yamato?"

"A friend of ours, along with Taichi and Sora," Adam explained, flashing a glare in Kaitlyn's direction. "They're from Ki's dimension."

"As are you two?" Kouji guessed. Adam stared at him in shock. "I figured Ki would trust friends from his world better than strangers from this one."

"You're right," Kaitlyn replied, returning the glare to Adam. "We are from that world, as are the other Chosen. But things have changed since the days of the original Kaiser." Her voice suddenly took on a less sharp tone. "Things have changed a lot…"

Adam was barely listening; instead, he was looking down at his failed paper. Kaitlyn didn't notice, but Kouji did.

"English?"

"Yeah. Compositions."

"Great." The sarcastic tone was obvious.

"You don't like writing?" Kaitlyn observed, surprised.

"Not this kind. Writing songs is easy for me—it all comes out naturally from what I see, but compositions are another thing entirely."

"Maybe Adam could help you," she suggested, glaring at her partner so he'd cooperate. "He's a pretty decent writer."

"_Pretty_ decent?" Adam muttered.

"How good is pretty decent?" Kouji questioned.

"Something got published in a magazine once. It's nothing too much; my mom is a reporter, so she managed to pull a few strings."

"Still, I need all the help I can get." Kaitlyn stared at him in surprise. From the little she knew, he rarely asked for help.

"All right," Adam agreed reluctantly. He removed a sheet of paper and a pen from his backpack and handed them over. "First, we need to choose a topic."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Is there anything, any battle from the past you remember most vividly?"

Kouji's face set more seriously. "Yeah. The day Kouichi tried to kill me."

"Adam, maybe you shouldn't…" Kaitlyn suggested.

"Now, you said you can write songs easily," Adam continued, ignoring her. "Make up some lyrics to describe everything around you, everything that happened."

Kouji tapped the pen against the table for a moment, creating a rhythm, just as he did when he was writing a song. The imagery of the beach swept through his mind's eye, filling his pen to write. All the while, Adam peered over, nodding his head or making corrections.

"There. What you have there is good. Leave it at that."

"Okay, so now what?"

"Now, on the other half of the paper, write your feelings about the incident."

"I was unconscious half the time."

"Then write about the way the electricity coursed through you, the pain you felt, the tears of your friends. You can get inside their heads, so put it to some use."

Again, Kouji created a beat for the lyrics, eventually writing a long set of lines about his fear and confusion, Kouichi's anger, the others' pain… Kaitlyn still looked reluctant, but Adam continued to nod.

"That's good, that's good."

"Is that all?" Kouji asked.

"Well, what you have here are two songs. Combine them into one, keeping a smooth rhythm, and you have your story there. It's that easy."

Kouji looked down at the two songs on his paper. It didn't _seem _that easy, but Adam was right. His songs were no more than stories, just as many were. If he could just manage to put in enough emotion, he'd be able to figure it out.

But it was too bad writing was the _only _thing he seemed to have figured out.

-------  
Izumi opened her eyes to a world of numbness. It was suddenly clear to her how Kouji must have felt after waking up from the blow to his head when the Kaiser had infiltrated his mind. She couldn't move at all, and her limbs felt like they'd fallen asleep.

She was in a hospital somewhere, and it was warm, though not uncomfortably so. She lifted her leaden arm to switch on a lamp so she could see around her. Signs were posted on the wall in a Chinese script and English. Her brain felt sluggish, so she couldn't translate the English into her native languages of Japanese or Italian, leaving her at an acceptable disadvantage. Ignoring her numbness, she leaned to a phone beside her bed and lifted the receiver. But with a thought that she could be in the hands of the enemy, she hung it up quickly.

Feeling restless, she got out of bed and walked around her room on unsteady legs. On the windowsill was a vase of flowers: blue-violet irises, white-and-pink orchids, white Casablanca lilies, and a few red roses that were beginning to wilt. She walked over to the bouquet, inhaling the various beautiful fragrances. A note was attached to a lily. It was a simple phone number, and a folded black cell phone lay next to the vase. On any other occasion, it could have been a trap, but she recognized the handwriting as Kouji's. Rapidly, she unfolded the phone and extended the antenna. There was no signal, so she drew the curtains and leaned out the window for a clearer signal and dialed. A quiet, familiar voice answered on the other end:

"Hello?"

"Kouji!"

There was a brief silence on the other end before he spoke again. "Izumi, you're finally awake! I don't know how many weeks have passed…"

"Weeks?"

"Yeah."

"Where are you?"

"I can't tell you yet. But I'm trying to help Ki track down Kouichi's center of power. I have a feeling it's more to keep me doing something so I can't feel helpless. If I'm lucky, no one—not even the Resistance—will be able to find me."

"Oh. I see." Izumi was silent for a moment, understanding Kouji's need for discretion. "Are you okay?"

"I guess. I'd rather stay in Hong Kong with the rest of you, but Kouichi can find me too easily. Sakuyamon's already tracked me down here."

"Do you still have the Black Ring?"

"Yeah. So long as Kouichi's alive, I still have it. But I'll figure out a way to get rid of it—without having to kill him. But if worse comes to worst, I know what I have to do." There was an uncomfortable silence.

"I miss you."

"I miss you too. I'll try to get back as soon as possible. Until then, I'll call you whenever possible. Ki calculated a thirteen-hour time difference, so I apologize ahead of time if I call you at a bad time."

"It's okay."

"Tell my family I'm fine, please."

"Of course."

"Well, see you soon."

"See you soon." Hanging up was the hardest thing either had done. Izumi stared at the bright lights and cityscape of Hong Kong, a tear slowly dancing down her cheek. Kouji placed his phone back in his pocket and continued tearing away at the old bandages on his hands. His palms were still shiny and red, but healing. Slowly, he forced his hands to become fists, feeling an oddly satisfying pain that indicated his hands were recovering. Finally, he wrapped them in fresh, soft cotton bandages and placed his gloves over them.

"I take it that was good news," Adam guessed, seeing a relieved look on Kouji's face.

"Izumi's finally conscious."

"That's good. Kaitlyn's right, though I hate to admit it. It's hard to be away from your loved ones. But don't mention Izumi's condition outside the apartment. We still have Sakuyamon to deal with."

Kouji grabbed his jacket. "Well, we'd better pick up Kaitlyn. Did you get something to eat?"

"Yeah. A little _real_ PB and J and I felt better."

They grabbed two bikes from the living room (one was Adam's and the other was on loan from Yamato) and headed outside.

At the Freeport Rec Center, classical music drifted from the windows. Adam listened to it while looking over his crumpled composition, regretting the events that had led to that battle. Finally, the music stopped, and the doors to the class slowly opened. Seeing that it was indeed safe, the Madame allowed her students and aides to exit. Kaitlyn walked out in a black leotard and pink tights, her hair placed in a bun.

"Just give me a second to change," she requested, heading for the locker room.

"Okay," Adam replied, throwing his composition into a garbage can.

Kouji detected a tone of regret in his new friend's voice and so turned to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just a little nostalgic. Back in fifth grade, people used to tell us to stop playing around and get married already. In the end, we found ourselves hating each other." A sad grin crept onto his face. "Darn Sora—I'd use stronger words, but there are kids here—she tried to set us up. You give a girl the Crest of Love, and she suddenly takes it on herself to be a matchmaker. She made Mimi look like nothing." Regaining his composure, he turned to face Kouji. "Don't let go of that girl. You do, and you'll regret it all your life."

"All right, I'm ready," Kaitlyn informed, wearing a dark violet sleeveless top with an attached jacket, black skorts, and black tennis shoes. Seeing that they were ready to go, she quickly stuffed her toe shoes in her dance bag.

"Let's get going," Adam decided rather uneasily.

"Just let me get my bike," Kaitlyn replied.

As she turned around, she swiped the crumpled paper from the top of the garbage can and stuffed it in her bag. She was curious as to its contents, and this was the only way to find out.

--------  
Kouji pulled out a bag of paper plates and a bag of plastic silverware and set the table. Adam was back at their apartment, getting three cans of soda. Kaitlyn had invited them over for dinner after they'd found nothing in the city—yes, inviting her mortal enemy Adam as well. But there was something about what Adam had said earlier that made him wonder how they could be at each other's throats now.

"He'd better hurry up," Kaitlyn commented impatiently, spooning rice and vegetables onto the plates. "I'm not waiting around for him."

"Why do you hate each other so much?" Kouji questioned.

"Why do you and your brother hate each other?" she demanded.

"I don't hate him. But why he hates me is a long story, and I'm not even sure if _I_ know the real reason."

"There's your answer."

"Explain."

"It's true that we were once friends—best friends, in fact. But then I began having some strange dreams, and he got jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Because I kept seeing someone in them. I didn't know who he was, but I knew I had to find him. But apparently, some people didn't agree."

"Kaitlyn," Kouji explained in as calm a voice as he could muster, "if Adam was that concerned, then he obviously cared about you, more than as a friend."

"There's more. After the Kaiser left our world, we all kept searching for a way here. And it wasn't just us; we called in several friends from all over the world: Wallace, Michael, Dingo, Catherine, Chichos… But no one could find out the answer. In the end, Daisuke, Koushiro, Wallace, and eventually Taichi decided they were going to help Gennai contact an old friend of the Chosen's…"

"Ryo Akiyama."

"Yeah. He lived in another dimension, and it took until April to contact him. Taichi told him our problem, and Ryo gave them a rather weird answer."

"How weird?"

"He said this was just like something he and his friends had faced a year before that. A girl named Juri Katou—a Tamer, like them—had lost her mother at the age of five, and then her partner, Leomon, five years later. The overwhelming sense of death summoned a being called the D-Reaper, which cloned her and infiltrated their Real World. Juri was the power source, in essence."

"That sounds like what happened to Kouichi," Kouji realized.

"Huh?"

"When our grandmother was dying, our mom was under a lot of stress; and from what he told me, he took it pretty hard. He summoned the Spirits of Darkness and became Duskmon."

"Then Ryo's information was more helpful than we thought," she replied. "Listen, you're going to come across a lot of new discoveries before you finally face your brother. Remember that he could be just as much a prisoner as you were, like Juri was."

Just as Adam knocked on the door, Kouji's phone rang. He excused himself and went into the living room to answer it.

"Izumi?"

"Kouji, I hope I didn't call you at a bad time. It's six o'clock there, right?"

"Yeah. It's okay."

"What's wrong?"

He took a quick glance at Adam and Kaitlyn, who were silently eating dinner without ever once looking at each other. The one good thing about their avoiding eye contact was that they weren't shooting death glares at each other anymore. He remembered when, after their return home and Kouichi's "return from the dead," Izumi had found herself drawn to the Child of Darkness. Never once had he felt jealous—he'd been the one that encouraged them both to get together. He once had a crush on Izumi, but seeing her happiness when she was with Kouichi was something he treasured even more.

"Kouji?" Izumi questioned.

"How can simple jealousy end a friendship so deep that it was almost love?"

"What do you mean?"

"How can two people—best friends, like all of us started as—suddenly hate each other just because of the person one of them saw in a dream?"

"I don't know. But if they really were best friends, it shouldn't have gotten in the way."

He watched the sad spectacle again. "So they're just making excuses?"

Broken glass suddenly filled the living room as a blue fox-like spirit flew through the window and attacked Kouji. Adam quickly helped him wrestle it while Kaitlyn grabbed the fire extinguisher. White foam sprayed all over the spirit, causing it to cry out in pain. Terrified, it flew out the shattered window and disappeared.

"That was one of Sakuyamon's attacks," Adam recognized.

"Adam, go back and get his stuff," Kaitlyn ordered. "We have to get him out of here now."

"No, wait!" Kouji ordered, but Adam had already left.

"What's wrong?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Sakuyamon knows me too well," he explained. "We can't head for the station."

"Then what should we do?"

Without answering, he dashed to his apartment, where Adam had already crammed everything of Kouji's into the duffel bag. Kouji took it and ran out the garage door, followed closely by the other two.

_Sakuyamon will be waiting at the train station, _he realized. "Kaitlyn, Adam, is there anything we can use to make a diversion?"

"What kind?" Adam questioned.

"Transportation."

"I have an idea," Kaitlyn informed. Both boys looked at her. "But it's kind of dangerous. Kouji, you stay with Adam while I distract Sakuyamon. Then get him to the train station as fast as possible." Not giving them a chance to argue, she ran for the school, climbing over a fence.

Sakuyamon scanned the streets, waiting for Kouji to make his move. He had not exited via the front door, so it was logical to assume he'd found a back door.

_I'll just wait him out, _she decided. _He'll show up eventually._ Suddenly, a golf cart came careening down the street._ That's him._

Taking chase, she flew after it, determined to apprehend him. But finally, after observing no change in its course of travel, she stopped.

_A decoy, _she realized, angrily flying away to the nearest train station.

-------  
Adam, Kaitlyn, and Kouji stood on the platform at Penn Station in New York. Trailmon Buffalo patiently waited for them to finish their goodbyes.

"Thanks for your help," Kouji commented. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll bet anything we'll see each other again," Kaitlyn answered. She gave him a hug and a friendly peck on the cheek before letting him say the remainder of his farewells.

"Hey," Adam added, holding out his hand. "Remember what I said about that girl."

"I will," Kouji promised, shaking his hand. "Goodbye."

The Trailmon took off, eventually disappearing into the Digital World, using world-hopping strategies to quickly get to the next location and keep Kouichi off their scent. As Kaitlyn Hayes, or whatever her name really was, stared after her new friend, she thought about the dreams she'd had. In them, she'd always seen Kouji as a weakening, beaten child who needed to be rescued. But now she saw that he was not the same person she'd envisioned. Rather, he was the opposite: a strengthening young man who was determined to end this long night, by himself if necessary. Had he changed, or was it she who had? Long ago, she had once had _friends_, but now she was a lone fighter, going against everything she'd grown up to know and love. How could a sweet little girl become such a cold young woman?

_"…Somewhere in there, underneath that hardened exterior is the little girl who hated seeing people get hurt…"_ The words haunted her mind all the time. Why was she like this? It was something she'd gotten used to.

Adam had already left, so she decided it was her time to move on as well. She turned and walked out of the station, into a cold and bittersweet rain. A cool autumn breeze swept through her fawn-colored hair as she took one last glance into the station.

"Godspeed, Child of Light," she whispered.

And with that one wish, she turned to face the wind and rain that tormented her heart.

**"Kaitlyn" comes from my cousin Kaitlyn, a.k.a. Katie. "Hayes" and "Hunter" are from _Robotech: The Macross Saga: _Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes. Adam is from Madeleine L'Engle's _A Ring of Endless Light._**


	19. Negai Kanaeru Kagi

_"Each of the roads that you meet on the way,  
__Everybody's got their own principle  
__Mine is to live me mine and change, and fight those timid feelings  
__Instead of being alone, sometimes company is just as good."  
__Yamato Ishida—"Negai Kanaeru Kagi"  
__(Translated by Yoakedesu)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Fourteen: "Negai Kanaeru Kagi"

Angered—no, _infuriated_—at Kouji's escape from New York the previous week, Kouichi sat in his study, trying to devise a plan. Sunlight streamed in through his open window, glinting off of a gilded cage beside it.

_Sakuyamon was too conspicuous,_ he realized. _I need an agent that he won't notice—someone or something so commonplace it's ridiculous. But this has to be enough to cause a threat if need be._ As he sat there, pondering the answer, a seagull flew past his window, screeching as it searched for food. Annoyed, he closed the curtains, blocking out the noise. He needed to think.

-------  
It was four o'clock when the Trailmon emerged from the Digital World in a specially hidden Resistance station in Melbourne, Australia.

"Right on schedule," thirty-two-year-old Chance Rockwell observed, stamping out his cigarette. He normally hated wasting one like that, but the person he was supposed to meet had a chronic breathing disorder that manifested itself at some of the most inconvenient times.

Finally, the passenger walked out in a pacific blue tank top and black nylon shorts. He was not at all what Chance expected. Tall and _very_ thin, the boy was obviously an escapee from the Kaiser's slave camp, but no other slave had looked _that_ deprived of food. His skeleton was visible through his skin and thinly dispersed muscles. And according to his file, he'd been out of that prison for three years, leading Chance to wonder just how many consequences were permanent.

Another thing that surprised Chance was just how _little_ this boy looked like the infamous ruler of both worlds. He'd been briefed that this boy and the Kaiser were identical twins, but they didn't seem to be identical to him. The Kaiser was muscular, fair-skinned, and had dark shoulder-length hair that he preferred to wear unaccented. This person was lean with a light tan fading from several weeks in New York. His hair was longer, and kept out of his face via a ponytail in the back. He had his bag slung over his shoulder and his hands stuffed into his pockets. The look on his face expressed confusion. Chance walked up to explain.

"Chance Rockwell," he introduced, holding out his hand. "I'm here on behalf of Brad and Calliope Portman."

The boy removed a bandaged hand from his pocket and shook Chance's outstretched hand. "Kouji Minamoto."

"I suppose you're tired," he guessed, detecting fatigue in his voice, "so we'll head for the institute now. I'll show you around before Brad takes you to your dorm. Just pray you get there before Calliope sees you." Inwardly, he shuddered. Brad was a great kid, but Calliope was a different story entirely.

-------  
Thirteen-year-old Brad Portman removed himself from the water and walked halfway across the beach to get his towel. Sixteen-year-old Calliope Portman was aimlessly sunbathing as far away from the water as possible. Why "aimlessly"? Well, despite the fact that she wore a black bikini with an orange wrap, she had a huge straw hat covering her head.

"For someone who used to be terrified of the ocean, you can't seem to stay away from it," she commented.

"That's more than I can say for you," he replied, picking up a towel to dry his hair. However, when he did so, he dropped a wristwatch to the sand, not realizing that it had fallen.

"What do you mean by that?"

In his usual silent manner, he ignored her without letting her know that he had. "What time is it anyway?" he asked.

Calliope picked up her watch from where it had fallen. "Four-thirty."

"What?" Brad half-shouted. "We were supposed to be back at the institute in time to pick up Kouji!" He slipped his feet into his sandals and began running as he pulled a red-and-blue striped shirt over his red swim trunks. As Calliope approached with her towel, he groaned. "I hope Chance didn't mind meeting him." Another groan. "Why didn't you tell me it was so late?"

She blinked and stared at him as they made their mad sprint. That was the most he'd ever said to anyone in years, not to mention the angriest he'd ever gotten. She'd begun to think that anger was completely out of his repertoire.

Chance was giving a young man a tour of the institute when they arrived. Chance had a slightly annoyed look on his face while the newcomer looked rather confused.

"_Gomenesai_, Chance," Brad apologized, bowing deeply. "We didn't realize it was so late."

"It's all right, Brad," he assured, "but I'll assume it was Calliope again?" The boy did not answer, which affirmed his suspicions. "Kouji, meet Brad and Calliope Portman. Aside from them, you won't have to worry about any assumed names; they take too long to come up with, and no one remembers them anyway. Isn't that right, Miya?"

Calliope turned bright red in anger. "I'm sorry, okay!"

"I told you not to come up with a difficult name," Brad reminded. "You shouldn't have decided on a Greek muse."

"Just shut up!"

"Anyway," Chance interrupted, "if either of you cares, this is Kouji Minamoto."

Calliope stared in shock. "You mean _that's_ him?" Already, Brad was rubbing his temples in order to prevent a migraine. "But the Internet footage was completely different, and he was supposed to be a halfling!" She clapped her hands over her mouth, realizing that she had just said the most offensive word any human-Digimon hybrid could ever hear.

"Now you've done it!" Chance scolded. "Brad, show Kouji to your dorm. You'll be bunking together. I have to talk to Calliope about her habit of getting into trouble."

Brad sighed in embarrassment at his partner's latest deed. "Come on, Kouji," he urged in the calmest, most reasonable voice he could muster under the circumstances.

The dorm was a lot more comfortable than Kouji expected it to be. It had a small kitchen with an oven and stove in addition to the normal dorm commodities. While Kouji unpacked, Brad sat down on his bed and began polishing a wooden kendo sword.

"Can I ask something?" Kouji questioned.

"Go ahead."

"Is Calliope your sister, or do you just have the same name?"

"No!" Brad denied. "Trust me, the surname is just a coincidence—well, not really. When we were coming up with our codenames, she couldn't think of a surname, so she used the one I had. It's bad enough she chose a name that took her a whole week to pronounce, but then she had to use a name I was. She may have been an older sister figure once, but ever since we were told of this mission, she's just gotten ridiculous."

"How so?"

"She has a very bad habit of falling in love with the first guy she sees—probably you included. Let's see, there was the new guy in our apartment complex—luckily he had a girl he liked; there was the star athlete of a rival school across town, but he turned out to be a jerk; there was one guy who actually learned to tolerate her—not a clue how it ended, but it did; and there was the jerk again, but he managed to let her down lightly. Then there was another guy—someone who really loved her, but he was so devastated by his mother's death that he couldn't continue the relationship. After that came our resident genius, but that one wasn't going to last after the fighting kept up. Oh, and then there was Chance and the interesting name slip." He laughed momentarily. "Believe me, if we were related, I'd have traded this bamboo sword in for a steel one a long time ago." It was an innocent comment, but it sounded forced, like he didn't want to think about inflicting harm on anybody.

"How good is your kendo?"

Brad placed his polishing rag aside and looked at the shine on the wood. "Intermediate. But Hida-sensei continues to give me lessons back home."

"Iori Hida?" Kouji guessed, recognizing the name.

"No, his grandfather. Sensei's been teaching us for as long as I can remember."

Chance opened the door and walked in. "Sorry to be disturbing you."

"It's all right," Kouji assured.

"Just wanted to make sure you weren't at each other's throats. Sometimes Brad can be more dangerous than he looks. Oh, I read Ki's report on your most recent battle with the Kaiser. Very impressive."

Kouji instinctively began rubbing his hands, almost as though to speed the healing. Brad saw this and placed his sword aside.

"You look pretty tired, so I'll let you rest," he decided. "Come on, Chance! Let's go!"

Kouji wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but he took this opportunity to recollect his thoughts before he fell asleep. Calliope reminded him of Sakiko a lot, only this girl was more of a _helpless _romantic than a _hopeless _one. Though Calliope wore that hat to conceal her hair, he had seen that she had brown eyes that were normally covered by glasses—contacts most recently. Brad, on the other hand, was the exact foil to her. He was very polite and serious, but he'd apparently learned how to crack a joke every now and then. He seemed to be very thoughtful, and much older than his thirteen years. Like Tomoki, he had brown hair and green eyes, but Brad's features were darker. And like with the cases of Ki and Kouji, a pain behind his eyes suggested a rough childhood that he didn't want to relive. There was so much more complexity to the latter than to the former, but as he fell asleep, Kouji suspected that both would surprise him shortly.

"What was that all about?" Chance asked Brad.

"That last battle with Kouichi took more out of him than what we can see," he answered. "Something terrible happened—something so terrible, he can't even begin to describe it." _Just like it did to me, _he compared. Involuntarily, he shivered as he remembered the feeling of a leaden, dying body on his shoulders. He'd seen far too much death in his young life.

"So," he began, changing the subject, "where's Calliope?"

"I told her to do something that won't get her in trouble," Chance replied. "I think she's in her room."

Brad groaned. After all these years, he knew that only meant more trouble. "We'd better check on her."

Sure enough, when they reached the hall to her dorm, the smell of smoke drifted toward them. Panicked, they ran to its source—Calliope's room, where else?—and desperately tried to break down the door. Getting his wits together, Brad checked the doorknob, finding it unlocked. Once they opened the door, they found Calliope spraying a fire extinguisher at an unidentifiable substance that appeared to have once been food.

Brad groaned once more. "What happened?"

"I felt bad about what I said to Kouji, so I tried to make up for it."

This time, Brad didn't groan, but sighed in exasperation while Chance informed, "Right now, he's asleep, so you can apologize in the morning." They began to walk out, but Chance turned around with a warning: "And no more cooking experiments!" Brad walked away without once turning back, thanking the Three Great Angels and the Four Holy Beasts that he was an only child.

-------  
The sound of ringing awoke Izumi Orimoto at six in the morning. Not wanting to wake up half an hour before necessary, she reached over and knocked the ringing object to the floor. When the noise didn't stop, she placed her head under the pillow, trying to drown out the sound. For a moment, she envied how Kouji had spent the month of January, most of February, and part of March in complete silence—

Kouji!

That was right! The ringing had to be a phone call from him!

Clarity replacing her early morning daze, Izumi picked the cell phone off the floor and quickly answered it:

"No, no, no, don't hang up yet!"

"Izumi, I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Oh, no. I've been up for hours," she answered, sitting up from her leaning position toward the floor. "You didn't just wake up, did you?"

"No—it's seven, so I've been up for a couple of hours."

"It's six here. You must be close."

"I don't know what you mean by 'close.' It's spring where I am."

"Oh, well, I guess it isn't too close. Are you okay? You sound tired."

"Long trip. I just got here yesterday."

"Is that all?"

"You know me inside and out, don't you?"

"Same way you know me." There was a brief silence. "So what is it?"

"I'm getting sick of drifting. I keep following one dead end to another, just trying to keep Kouichi from finding me. After the next mission, I'm heading for Hong Kong."

"Why not after this one?"

"Ki has only one agent in Argentina, and he apparently hasn't been able to fight the same since the Chosen's final battle. I don't think there's going to be anything there, but Ki wants us to check. So I'll be back soon, I hope."

"I can't wait."

"Me neither. I'll try to talk to you later, Izumi."

"Later." She hung up and placed the phone on her nightstand. This was just the wake up call she needed.

-------  
Brad was meditating on the basketball courts, enjoying the feel of the sunlight against his face. The sunshine had a healing effect, warming his body while burning away the cold fear that had possessed him for so many years. He took in a breath, seeming to inhale the rays of light as a shadow passed over him.

"Sorry." It was Kouji. "Chance and I were going to play a game. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"No, it's okay," Brad assured, opening his eyes. "In fact, if you have a minute, I'd like to ask you something—if it's okay."

Kouji sat down. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Brad watched a red bird fly by as he carefully worked out his question in his head. Unfortunately, there would be no way of avoiding causing pain for either of them. "Do you remember people named Ai, Yuuki, and Amistad?"

"Ai and Yuuki I remember," he answered, "and I think I know who Amistad is. Why?"

"They're the ones that came on a scouting mission to try and find you. Thanks to the visions of a person whose name I won't say, we were able to know about Cell 24. We know that you were locked away in a cold dark place for a long time."

Kouji nodded. "It still hurts to this day."

"And it should…well… It does for me. I was locked away for a long time as well, and I still haven't dealt with it. I was hoping you knew a way to try and move on."

He was silent, staring at the same scarlet birds. Understanding that he'd treaded on sensitive territory, Brad stood up and began his kendo practice, leaving the question forgotten. He slashed gently when birds were around, avoiding hurting them, but his other advances were fiercer. Like Kouji, he was fighting his past and desperately trying to win.

"You don't," Kouji finally replied. "There's no way to move on. But you put your fears to your advantage, never allowing yourself to take advantage of what you could no longer have." He glanced up at the sky, noting the sunbeams that passed through the clouds. "I remember the first days after I left Cell 24. My family, Takamoto, and Izumi had all been placed in a house in the settlement, but I don't remember being inside for days. My parents, stepmother, and sister were all trying to adjust to the light and new surroundings, but I was spending most of my time outside in a hammock Izumi and I had helped Takamoto put up in the backyard. Half of it was concealed by a shady tree, but I always stayed in the illuminated area. I'd been in the dark cell for so long, I couldn't let myself be in it any longer." He suppressed a laugh. "I even slept out there the first few nights, just staring at the stars. The feelings of sunlight warming my face and moonlight blanketing me in a soft serenity were something I needed to embrace then."

Brad had paused his kendo throughout the entire account. Finally, he looked down at the handle of his sword. "I spend as much time as I can in the sun as well," he admitted. "I think of it as banishing the darkness that kept coming to claim me. I swim to wash away the feelings of despair, and I use kendo to fight against my fear."

Kouji got up as he noticed Chance heading for the farther court. "We all recover in different ways. It's just something that can't be taught to anyone." Understanding it finally, Brad nodded his agreement.

-------  
Calliope ran out of her dorm, pushing past her roommate, Kelly, who had spent the past ten minutes trying to wake her. After another ten or so minutes of worrying about where to find Kouji so she could apologize, she was oh-so-kindly informed by Kelly that he and Chance were playing basketball out on the courts. She shouted a quick greeting to her friends Whitney, Alisha, and Melissa before nearly tripping over a red bird at the basketball courts.

"Watch out for the birds," Brad informed, slashing away with his kendo sword. "They're everywhere."

"Yeah, I noticed," she snapped.

"Overslept again?" he guessed.

"Hmm, let's see: it's two in the afternoon, I was up all night at Kelly's party—what do you think?"

He ignored her anger and made another slash at an invisible opponent. "Just apologize. Do nothing more."

"What?" she exclaimed. He brought his bamboo weapon to his side and looked at her.

"I've known you all my life," he explained. "I always know when you've fallen in love. Think of Kouji as our ally, and no more. He has someone he cares about already, and from the little he told me, the last thing he needs right now is someone else's feelings to worry about."

Several Japanese curse words loudly escaped Calliope's mouth. While Kouji and Chance dropped the ball in response to the loud outburst of profanity, Brad stood still, completely unfazed. Deciphering through the vulgar language, he managed to get out the words "What do you mean?" despite the Swiss cheese her comment had become after editing the profanities from it.

"Just leave him alone," he warned, making eye contact. Emerald green pierced through brown, causing a slow shiver to go up Calliope's spine. "This war will have the most severe ramifications on him, and him alone. If all our information is correct—and it should be—he will have to _kill_ his own brother. Don't add on to the guilt he'll feel later on." A haunted look drifted across his eyes as he said that, but he shook it away. "Understand?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"Now," he continued, taking his kendo sword, "if you want to apologize, wait a few minutes. We'll be exploring the coral reefs to see if Kouichi's base is there—remember, Ken hid his in the ocean for a while. You can come with us if you like, unless you're scared."

"What do you mean by that?" she demanded, but he simply ignored her and left. She took in a breath and held it in anger. How was it that he always knew how to set her off?

-------  
Calliope sat on the dock, watching the others dive. She had no desire to enter the water, but she refused to give her reasons. The cool ocean breeze blew a strand of her carefully concealed hair out from under her hat. Momentarily, she removed it and forced her hair up to be better covered. As she placed the straw headpiece back on, she could hear a familiar voice behind her:

"If you were so worried about your hair, you should have cut and dyed it."

"Well, you didn't," she responded rather coolly.

"Well, sometimes my appearance comes in handy," he commented.

"So which identity did you choose today?" she asked.

"Today, I'm Ki. Tomorrow, who knows? I'll only know when it gets here." He walked up closer, wearing the white hat he'd donned at the school and at the hospital. "Nothing, I take it."

"They say 'no news is good news,' so I guess we've had nothing but good news lately."

"I doubt Kouichi's here," Ki admitted. "And I doubt he's anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere, but…"

"Your problem?"

"I got a call from Argentina. The freighter left more than a month ago, with no word given to me. It sounds like Kouichi's doing. Martinez booked a jet and promised to fly them down, but Kouji has to meet him by ten o'clock Friday night."

"So what is he supposed to do until then?"

Ki sighed. It had been a long time since he and Calliope had broken up, and she'd never been hard on him for it—until now, that was. "You'll just have to come up with that on your own." He turned to walk away, but a cardinal pulled a kamikaze on him, forcing him to duck wildly.

"I swear those birds have been stalking me," Calliope declared, laughter evident in her voice. Ki laughed momentarily at that, and then stared suspiciously at the waters beyond them.

"Be careful," he cautioned. "Something's not right here."

-------  
Izumi walked home from school, accompanied by Sakiko. The two girls were in vast contrast to each other. While Izumi wore a light blue Chinese-styled top with a pair of khakis, Sakiko wore a black lacy blouse with the blue plaid skirt from Izumi's school uniform. The one thing that could be considered alike was their hairstyles: Both girls wore their hair down, except Izumi had a morning glory comb in her blond hair to keep it out of her face, and Sakiko wore her brown-and-purple hair alone, the purple highlights looking like flames that were trying to consume the brown.

"Are the others always this late?" Sakiko asked, noting that the remaining three Chosen still hadn't joined them.

"As long as I've known them," she replied with a sigh. Once the three stragglers were in sight, her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Izumi, I hope you're not still in school."

"No, Kouji. We just got out. In fact, Sakiko and I were waiting for three people who were taking forever to get out of their remedial classes. Is there something wrong?"

"No, it's good news for once. I'm coming home soon."

"Really? When?"

"I don't know—maybe a few days. I'm headed for the next location Friday night. The last one will only take a day or two unless something goes wrong."

"Good. I can't wait."

"Neither can I. Till then."

"Till then." When had they stopped saying goodbye? As Izumi switched off her phone, Takuya turned to her.

"Kouji?" he guessed.

"Yeah. He's headed for the next stop on Friday. After that, he's coming back to Hong Kong."

"How well can he fight?" Takuya questioned.

"Pretty well. Why?"

"Kage's been getting pretty anxious lately, keeping a harder watch out for Imperials. He thinks we're nearing the finale."

"Finale?"

"The last battle. Kage's basing his theory off of reports he's received and information from Ki, if he's right."

"He's been right all those times before. He's been keeping one step ahead of Kouichi."

"Which is what worries me. How does he know? And how _could_ he?"

For a moment, something Kouji had said rang in Izumi's ears: _"For all we know, Ki could be Kouichi…"_

"You don't think he's an Imperial?" she defended. "He would have handed us over if he was!"

"I wasn't saying that. Just hear me out: If he has all these agents and informants, then why hadn't Kage known about him beforehand? Why hasn't the Resistance heard of him before?"

"Well, Kouji said he's from another world…"

"But then why come here? If anything, the Chosen should be here, not him. And why does he know us so well? How can he?" Izumi was silent for a while.

"I don't know."

"I'm not saying I don't trust him. Ki's trustworthy—there's no doubt about it in my mind. But he also hasn't been entirely honest with us, and there's no doubt in my mind about that either. That is something we must be wary of." It was one of the few times Takuya was ever truly serious about something, and it was all too unsettling.

-------  
"Kouji?" Calliope called. "Can I come in?"

"The door's open," he informed. Inside, he had packed all but enough clothes to last him till Friday. As Calliope watched, he carefully placed a framed picture in his bag.

"May I see?" she asked. He handed it to her, allowing her to see a blonde girl with aqua green eyes. "Who is this?"

"Izumi."

Calliope felt her heart sink. "Your girlfriend?" she managed to ask past the knot in her throat. He nodded. Her heart sank even lower, and the knot in her throat tightened.

"Brad said that you might have that reaction," he informed. "I'm sorry, but I had to tell you."

"It's okay," she assured, gathering her pride to fight her disappointment. "You still have four days before you have to leave, and you'll have to face Kouichi sooner or later. Brad's great at kendo, and I know your specialty is saber techniques. Maybe he can train you so you can fight him better. That'll be a surprise for Kouichi! And maybe you'll master other fighting forms too…" Her words trailing off into nonsensical jabber, she opened the door to see Brad standing outside. The look he gave her was not piteous, but compassionate all the same.

"Kouji, training till dinner okay?" he checked. "We've got some leftover fried rice in the fridge. I know that leftovers are unusual for the Japanese, but if I can adjust to it, you should be able to."

"That's fine. I'll join you in a minute."

Brad and Calliope walked out, each heading in a different direction. Choosing to ignore her earlier heartbreak, Calliope decided to grab her bikini, a swim cap for her hair, and a towel. Hey, she was at the beach. Why shouldn't she enjoy it? Besides, if she drowned, that lifeguard was pretty cute…

-------  
"All right, I know you're skilled at Western swordplay, but Eastern is a completely different game," Brad explained. "In your trial exercise, I saw that you know basic Asian styles, but most of your attacks were European."

"What do I have to do first?" Kouji questioned.

"We'll begin with blocking, as your defense really needs work." He lifted his bamboo sword and aimed at Kouji's right shoulder. The student spotted the movement and blocked with his sword (actually, a broom handle they'd sawed off). Having fooled him, Brad struck at his real target—the neck—bringing his weapon to a halt at the Black Ring.

"You weren't watching," he observed.

"But I…"

"You were concentrating on the weapon, and not on your opponent. If you'd watched my wrist, you'd have seen the slight flipping movement as I reversed my sword to strike at your neck. The blade of a knife isn't the only danger; the blunt edge can also be deadly. Who knows? A katana can be double-bladed or reverse-bladed." He brought the wooden sword to his side. "And don't let your attention wander. Keep your mind solely on the fight." He then turned around to walk back and resume his fighting stance; but, without turning, he slashed at Kouji's knee. This time, he was ready. He swung his makeshift kendo sword and disarmed Brad.

"You couldn't fool me that time," he informed.

"Good," Brad replied. "Now, if you'd be so kind, get my sword."

As Kouji bent down to get it, his young sensei poked him in the back with a butter knife.

"Never turn your back on the opponent, and always assume he has more than one weapon," Brad advised. "If this was real, you'd be dead now." He withdrew the other weapon. "And a word of advise: Never reach for your opponent's weapon. I know they do it all the time in the movies, but your enemy will know the weapon better than you, and it could be a trap. There could be something concealed on the hilt. You wouldn't know until poison or something injected into your bloodstream. By then, it would be too late."

"How do you know all this?" Kouji asked.

"Hida-sensei taught me, as did the Chosen. They wanted to get my mind off…my mind off…" He choked again, "my mind off a bad experience. Everything I learned stayed with me."

Hours of defensive techniques passed, leaving both teenage boys drenched with sweat. Brad didn't even pause until he was one hundred percent satisfied with Kouji's performance. Finally, at seven forty-five, he brought their practice to a halt.

"Good," he complimented. "But don't let your emotions blind you when you fight. Your enemy can use them to his advantage."

"I'll try."

"No. Don't try. You have to be able to do this, or else you and everyone you love will die."

They went over to a shower station and rinsed the perspiration off their bodies and clothes. Back at the institute, they changed into clean, dry clothes and washed up for dinner. As he towel-dried his hair, Kouji happened to notice an odd pattern in Brad's hand washing: scrub, rinse, more soap, and then repeat the cycle.

"Is something wrong?" he checked.

"Huh?" Brad questioned. He looked down to see his hands were raw from the washings. "I guess my mind was wandering." He grabbed a paper towel and began drying his hands as roughly as he'd washed them. "Come on, let's eat."

-------  
The next day's practice was double weapons. The day after was even harder: offensive and defensive strategies in a worst-case scenario. But on Friday night, Brad pulled out all the stops.

"I warned you never to take an opponent's weapon, but there are times when an opponent will be foolish enough to take yours, as you know." He then produced the two Licht Siegers he'd somehow removed from Kouji's bag. "Let's see how well you know your weapons." In two swift, Z-like shapes, he activated the sabers and began the training exercise.

Kouji had last fought under these conditions while under Kouichi's control. Now, he could fight freely, without being forced to act as a puppet. This was _his_ battle now, and _he_ had the advantage. Brad's fighting style was much different from Ki's, as he used the Japanese art rather than the European, so he was a very worthy adversary. Brad found that Kouji knew his weapons very well—as well as can be expected for someone who used them for three or four years. He would have to try something different, so he connected the two sabers into one double-bladed weapon.

It was as close as Kouji would get to a battle with Löwemon or Sakuyamon, and the change of weapon design did not flaunt Brad at all. His techniques remained flawless and difficult to predict. The more Kouji blocked, the closer he came to his own defeat. Yes, this was it: the psychological technique Kouichi practiced—the more he searched for an attack, the less attention he'd give the attacks coming at him. Clearing his mind of all other thoughts and emotions, he watched Brad's movements, keeping his own to a minimum. Cautiously, he searched for any weakness that he could exploit. Finally, it became clear that he was hiding all weak points too hard for anyone to observe. He was forced to wait for Brad to tire.

Brad too was aware of this. While Kouji kept his movements to an absolute minimum, he conserved the most of his strength. This was another tactic an enemy could deploy. Calliope came out with Kouji's bag and the warning to go when a loud gunshot sounded on the harbor. Red birds flew away from the sound, following the fearful instinct to flee from danger as Chance Rockwell emerged from the shadows, holding a large black shotgun.

"You three should have realized there was something wrong," he informed. "You should now better than anybody that a smile can conceal a killer. Now, come along, halfling. The Kaiser's waiting for you."

"A mercenary?" Calliope whispered as though she didn't believe it.

"Yes, Miya," he answered. "And thanks to your little revelation because of your crush, I know just who you two are. What a wonderful surprise for the Kaiser when I bring him Minamoto." Suddenly, there was the sound of a click from a gun with a silencer, and Chance's dead body fell into the water. Behind him stood a weathered Latino man and a bronze-skinned teenage boy with reddish-brown hair. Immediately, both Brad and Calliope breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kouji Minamoto?" the man checked. The Australian team nodded. "My name is Martinez."

"Save the introductions for later," the teenager urged. "We have to go!" Kouji took his bag and ran after them. "Next stop, the _real_ down under! Antarctica, here we come!"__

_Gomenesai: I'm sorry_

**Sorry if this sounded a lot like _G Gundam,_ but I needed something for the training.**** I owed my friend Kelly a cameo for coming up with a cool outfit for a character in the final chapter. So while I was at it, I gave a couple of my other friends some appearances. T****he whole thing about the sunlight was from _The Pretender_, when Angelo escapes and he and Jarod comment on how much they enjoy the sunlight after being locked away in the Centre.**


	20. Sayonara dake ga Shitteta

_"Wanting to see you but not being able to,  
__Ending like that is kind of sad  
__Because being able to finally  
__See you and the kindness  
__That I received from you is still in my heart  
__And I'll give it to anyone  
__That's the important thing 'Goodbye' brought to me."  
__Juri Katou—"Sayonara dake ga Shitteta"  
__(Translated by Riah-chan)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Fifteen: "Sayonara dake ga Shitteta"

The Elecmon fired his Sparkling Thunder attack, causing it to circle around the Kaiser. Next, the Unimon fired his attack, and the Gotsumon his. Though he could not hear them, much less see them due to the vicious attacks, he was still conscious via the pain that coursed through him. The Digimon had taken it upon themselves to decide his fate. This desert was their courtroom, and his guilt was obvious. This pole was his method of execution. There was no death row for him to wait on. The Digimon had turned the tables. They were now judge, jury, and executioner.

There was a brief pause in attacks, allowing the Kaiser to see a familiar brown-haired boy on the ground. His cerulean eyes were in vast contrast to his darkly tanned skin, and they sparkled even in the overshadowed desert.

"Akiyama-san," the Kaiser whispered. "Ryo _niisan_!" But his cries for help went unheeded as the fifteen-year-old Tamer turned and walked away, cuing several new spectators to join in the battle.

Each new attack lit up their faces, but to the Kaiser, they were no more than a blur. They were just faceless blurs releasing beams of gold, purple, green, yellow, orange, and red to murder him. But wait… There was something familiar about all of them…

But before he could even see who they were, his data exploded and scattered to the wind.

Kouichi sat up in bed, gasping for air. He'd had that nightmare for about three months straight now, ever since that encounter with the hooded person in the Digital World. His voice… His voice was so familiar… But why? What tie did he have to him? To anyone?

He got out of his red silk-sheeted bed and opened his window. The cool autumn breeze met up, along with the scent of salt and sea. Around him, bright lights illuminated a city that was his to spare or crush. Where had he thought that before? On the beach in Japan. How long had it been since he'd sifted through that sand, had that feeling of sovereignty?

He stroked the black feathers of a raven he had in a cage beside the window. The bird could look out and see freedom, but it could never attain it himself.

In Jewish tradition, there was a ritual to forgive sins. The community would choose a live goat and symbiotically place upon it the sins and guilt of the people before releasing it. The word "scapegoat" had originated from there, and the feelings of hate and guilt had long since been placed on people rather than animals.

Kouichi opened the cage and let the blackbird perch on his finger. It was nearly eclipsed against the ebony shade of his nightclothes. Ignoring all else, Kouichi checked its clipped wings and saw that they were not fit for flying. He removed his black-and-gray digivice and switched to the stolen Spirits of Light. Immediately, he could feel his D-scanner burning in his hands with a white-hot light (Hadn't someone once spread a rumor of a burning white light that would kill whomever saw Kouji? Kouichi wondered), but he could not choose his own to use. The Spirits of Light had the power to heal; Darkness could only bring destruction and death.

With short exposure to the shining power, the raven's wings healed. It wasted no time in spreading those new wings and flying out the window, flying away to freedom.

As Kouichi stared at the blackbird flying to the city, he wondered how the ancient Jews had felt at the repent of their sins. Did they feel relieved or guilty? As for him, he felt only mild disgust.

He would have to wait until he had Kouji before he could taunt an animal with unattainable freedom.

* * *

Martinez landed on a deserted ice field. Rather than turning the jet off, he opened the door and turned to the others.

"Zachary, Kouji, you're on your own," he explained. "If you need help, contact me or track me down. I'm going to be in the jet." He shivered underneath his fur-lined coat. "Too cold for my taste."

Kouji exited the jet, followed by Zachary Wallace, his partner on this mission. Both wore white down parkas and pants with off-white scarves, backpacks, boots, hats, and gloves so as to blend in with their icy surroundings. The only dark color they donned were the black goggles that shielded their eyes from the intense white splendor.

"Hey, wait up!" Zachary called. He didn't run, but walked quickly to reach him. When he finally caught up, he observed all the ice around them. "I've never seen this much ice and snow since…" The memory of his friends took that opportunity to enter his mind. "Since before the fighting began." A chilled wind blew at them.

"How did the fighting begin?" Kouji asked quietly.

"It all began when the Chosen and a bunch of other kids defeated BelialVamdemon."

"Ki mentioned some other kids—Keiko, Noriko, Hiroshi, and Takashi?"

"That's them, along with a bunch of others just like them. The battle was hard fought and ended in a bittersweet victory. Sure, the world was saved from the Darkness that was shrouding it, but more was lost than gained. Electricity had run out due to the Darkness, and many people on life support died in the Real World. True, now there were a whole lot of new Chosen, but we lost Iori."

"How?"

"He was trying to help a man named Oikawa get out of a portal that was closing, but Oikawa died as he was helping him." Tears were evident in his eyes, despite his dark goggles. "It wasn't fair. Iori was only nine! He shouldn't have faced that! He was practically carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and we let him down! We didn't help him.

"After that death, Iori completely lost his mind. He spent a whole year in the hospital, in the psych ward, trying to deal with what had happened. In a way, I envy him. He didn't have to see his friends break apart.

"Hikari began having strange dreams around February, and she blamed them on Ken. In them, she saw a young man dying at the hands of someone who looked exactly like Ken, dressed in the Kaiser's outfit too." Kouji stared back in silent shock. "I don't want you to feel guilty over what happened next because you had nothing really to do with it. Hikari has a power far stronger than any I've ever seen. She could sense your pain from worlds away, and you never knew she could. Her gift is far stronger than Kouichi's or yours is. Because of these dreams, Hikari got in a fight with Ken, and Takeru soon joined in. Meanwhile, Wallace had just broken up with Miyako, who was bitter with everyone. The older Chosen couldn't handle it, and it was certainly proven true in a battle with Demon."

"And what about Daisuke?" Kouji questioned. He was still in shock over his role in all of this, but he had to know exactly what had happened.

"Daisuke officially gave up on everyone in February, just before Taichi, Yamato, and Sora began a trial run of the portal to this world. Taichi said that giving up was his biggest mistake, and I agree with him on that, but after seeing what happened to his Digimon, Chibimon… Daisuke eventually began working with Wallace, Koushiro, and Gennai on contacting Ryo and monitoring this world. It was up to them and Taichi to tell Ryo that the Chosen Children were no more. The look on his face and that haunted look in his eyes are something I'll never forget. One event had claimed Iori, and another had claimed not only the Chosen, but this world too." He let out a breath of misty warm air. "You were in Cell 24, right?" He received a nod. "I heard it was harsh." Another nod. "And cold." Yet another nod. "Which is colder: here or there?"

For a long time, Kouji was silent, only now not because he was still in shock over Zachary's revelation. He examined the landscape with a pair of binoculars and continued breathing through the scarf wrapped around him. In the distance, waves could be heard breaking across stone beaches, where penguins would be nesting and seals would be feeding. The freighter would be somewhere near there, and he knew they'd have to explore it and interrogate the crew and passengers.

The cold Antarctic wind bit into him again, chilling him through his thick clothes. Though it was summer in the Southern Hemisphere, Antarctica would continue to be cold, harsh, and inhospitable. But there was a strange beauty in its barren landscape and cruel kindness, magnified by the luminescent aurora austrialis above them. As he looked at the iridescent Southern Lights, he felt a sense of calm, a sense of purpose…a sense of closeness to those he would soon return to. This was something he'd never felt before, and it ended the alienated and ostracized feelings he'd had since he was old enough to understand that "goodbye" was eternal.

"There."

* * *

Just like any other day, Sundays were very busy in Hong Kong. People strayed around the city, either with nothing to do, or in the process of finding something to do. But in the midst of it all, a blonde Italian-Japanese girl was walking with a small brunette Japanese girl, just wandering down Bird Street. From time to time, the small girl would stop and gaze at the caged feathered creatures. It was anyone's guess what was on her mind, but she would always continue walking beside the older girl, her brown pigtails bobbing up and down. While the older girl wore a forest green hooded T-shirt with black jeans and a midnight blue cotton jacket, the younger wore a pale lavender _qipao_ decorated with pink _sakura_ petals.

"Izumi," called a familiar masculine voice. The older girl turned to see a boy her age in a denim jacket decorated with flames, black T-shirt, and black-and-gray athletic pants. Atop his head was a white fisherman's hat, concealing his hair and part of his face. Save for the hat and jacket, he was dressed to disappear quickly in the shadows.

"Ki," she recognized.

"Nice to see you again," he replied, bowing carefully enough not to cause his hat to fall off. "And who is this?"

"This is Kouri," Izumi introduced. "She's Kouji's sister."

"Hello," he greeted. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," she answered. "But is your name really Ki? That's a funny name."

"No," he replied. "That's what your brother, Izumi, and all of their friends call me."

"What _is_ your real name?" she questioned. He knelt down and whispered it in her ear.

"But you can't tell anyone," he added. "Kouichi would find us all too easily."

"Okay," she whispered back.

Izumi watched them nervously, remembering Takuya's words from the previous Tuesday. Just how much was Ki keeping from them anyway? And _why _was he keeping it? They were all on the same side, so no one should have been keeping secrets.

He stood up and began walking with them down the narrow streets lined with shops, people, and caged birds. "I've come to hate seeing anything in a cage. I'd hate to have to look out and see everyone else basking in the glow of freedom while I'm locked away in the shadow of detainment."

For some reason, the topic dealt a hard blow to Izumi. She could only think of Kouji's past in Kouichi's base, and the slaves that were left behind. "I haven't been able to contact Kouji for two days now," she informed. "I keep getting a dead signal."

"Don't worry," he assured. "He's just in an area where there's no phone service."

"Where is he?" Kouri asked. "Is it far?"

"Yes it is," he answered. "But don't worry. He's just going to scout a suspicious ship, and then he'll come home. My agents said Kouichi would have to be crazy to set up base in a place as cold as that."

"Where could they possibly be where it would be that cold?" Izumi questioned.

"Down south."

* * *

"Well, there's the ship," Zachary observed, seeing it upon the stony shores. "I guess we'd better go in and investigate." He started to head toward it when he noticed Kouji wasn't following. "What's wrong?"

"Why would the captain beech his freighter like that?" he asked. "It makes no sense."

"The only way to find out is to go in and stake it out," Zachary decided, but Kouji still didn't move. "Now what's wrong?"

"Have you ever felt like you've just approached your own grave?" His partner shook his head. "Never mind then. Just a bad feeling I have."

"Maybe we should just head back to Martinez," Zachary suggested. "If you don't feel comfortable with this, we won't look."

"No. I promised that I'd help, so I'm not going to back out now." Zachary laughed. "What?"

"Nothing. You just reminded me of Iori, that's all. He always says that, never giving up on a mission, even if he can't take it. The two of you are exactly the same."

He carefully removed a grappling iron from his pack and hooked it to a lifeboat. Then he meticulously brought the boat down, allowing him and Kouji to climb in and use the pulleys to work it as a primitive elevator. Once they were on deck, they began to look around.

All of the cabins were vacant and too spick-and-span to have housed anyone in recent times. The galley was fully stocked with enough food for all legs of the journey, and appeared as though the two explorers were the first to set foot in it in months. Becoming even more wary, Kouji headed for the bridge, where it was obvious that no one had manned the helm. All the navigator's maps were neatly locked away, and nothing had been touched until he'd walked in. The ship was as barren as the continent itself.

"Let's leave," he decided. "This is a trap."

A red bird suddenly landed on deck, freezing them in their tracks. The only birds that could survive this cold were penguins, puffins, and few other seabirds. It was followed by another bird, and then another, until the whole sky was no more than a spread of beaks and red feathers. The winged creatures created a giant red circle around them. In an instant, their intentions were clear to Kouji, and a wave of panic swept over his normally calm persona.

"Run!" he ordered.

Zachary raced toward the lifeboat elevator, motioning for Kouji to join him, but the birds refused to let him exit their ring, and proved so by spreading their wings so the tips would connect. Each bird spontaneously burst into flame, creating a blood-colored ring of fire from which a dome of shadows emerged. And Kouji knew it was futile to try and escape a Zone Deleter and expect to come out unscathed.

"Just run!" he shouted to his friend in the lifeboat. "I'll find another way out!"

This Zone Deleter was just the same as the one Velgmon had continually used during his time as Cherubimon's pawn. When the dome was fully closed, it would detonate, showering everything inside with a type of red antimatter that would delete everything in its path. Fortunately, it had a certain range, and could not obliterate anything below a certain amount of meters. As he dashed down the stairs separating the decks of the ship, Kouji hoped he would reach that frontier before the dome closed.

A large explosion was audible above him. He dared to glance up and see every deck above disintegrating from the red antimatter. The same would happen to him if he didn't do something right then and there. Quickly, he rolled off the walled banister and freefell several decks before grabbing hold of another wall. He pulled himself up and tumbled down the stairs a little bit before reaching level ground near a door. Remembering every safety tip he'd learned in kindergarten, he broke down the door and stood in the doorway as the entire stairwell, and indeed the whole ship, collapsed on top of him.

* * *

Without any warning, Kouri looked up at the sky over Bird Street, a terrified look in her sparkling blue eyes.

"What is it?" Izumi questioned.

"Something happened to Kouji," she alerted.

"What?" Ki asked.

"She has a strange sixth sense," Izumi explained. "She knows what Kouji thinks, how he feels, and the emotions he's hiding. He and Kouichi have it too, but neither shows it has strongly."

"Hikari Yagami has the same thing," Ki informed with a grave tone. "Her Digimon didn't, her brother Taichi didn't, but she did. She could always sense the powers of Darkness and Light, even better than the Digimon, and boundaries between worlds didn't hold her back. The other Chosen couldn't feel it from a distance the way she could, so she acted as an alert system of sorts, letting them all know when the World of Darkness was opening its gates. If not for her, we would never have known of the Kaiser's exodus to this world." A tear left one of his regret-stained eyes, but he ignored it and continued. "This gift is extremely rare, and is as much of a curse as it is a blessing. We always assumed the gift was associated with the power of Light, but if Kouri has it stronger than Kouji does, then it must depend on Darkness as well. Koushiro would understand it—he could explain it better than I can. Basically, because of her gift, Kouri will be in danger. Don't let her out of your sight even for a minute, understand?"

"Yes, but what could happen?"

"Do I really need to tell you?" Izumi shook her head. Satisfied, he knelt down next to Kouri again and handed her what appeared to be a piece of glass. "Hold onto this all the time for me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Izumi, what time is it?"

"Just after noon, why?"

"If you want to know more about the gift, ask Hikari. She'll be here in a few hours, but she'll be waiting for the other Chosen to get here, so she won't get to meet you right away. But she'll tell you." At this point, Izumi didn't know if she wanted to hear what Hikari had to say. But before she could speak her mind, Ki changed the subject. "You two must be hungry. I'll buy you lunch."

They located a vender and Ki paid for three fried dough snacks to hold them over until he finally found a place to buy steamed dumplings. After finding a low wall to sit on, the trio ate a very quiet lunch.

"Why do you look so sad all the time?" Kouri asked, catching both by surprise. "I mean Ki. You're like Kouji. You look sad a lot."

Momentarily, Ki marveled at how quickly Kouri had picked that up. It would have taken Hikari more than a first meeting to determine that, but Kouri was also younger, and used to that regret in her brother. And it was odd that she'd compared him to Kouji. That was not the person he'd have compared himself to.

"I lost a lot of friends," he answered simply.

"How?"

"Most I lost in a fight, but one I lost before that. He had to go to the hospital for a very long time."

"Why? Was he sick?"

"No. He just saw some things that he should never have faced."

* * *

It was nearly midnight in Hong Kong, and in the Tenshis' small apartment, the only illumination came from the glow of Kage's computer screen as he continued typing. The soft light reflected off Cyberdramon's silver helmet and shone in BlackWarGreymon's golden eyes. Nearby, Taiyou leaned against the wall, her arms crossed and her face half-concealed by the night.

"I don't see why you bother to help him," she commented.

"I help because I have to," Kage replied, typing away. This had to be the fourth time this week they'd had that argument, it sometimes breaking into a fistfight. Every time, it was always the same. "BlackWarGreymon, what were their locations?"

"They were approaching from the harbor, but we were able to stop them in time."

"Imperials?" Taiyou guessed. Her brother nodded. "Here?"

"I think they may have been on leave, but we still have to be careful. Cyberdramon and BlackWarGreymon are enough to keep any strays at bay for a while, but not for long. The only way to stop this is to help Kouji."

She grunted her disapproval. "I hate it when you're right." Kage grinned. "So where's the little halfling now?"

"The South Pole, according to Ki. This is the last mission before we take down the Kaiser. Ki's got other Chosen coming in from all the corners of the world. This is it." He turned from his computer and looked up at his older sister. "This time, we can get the guy who's _really _responsible for Dad's death."

Taiyou considered arguing with him, informing him that Kouji was still involved in the assassination and therefore liable to punishment, but Cyberdramon's hand on her shoulder made her think otherwise. Though he rarely chose to show it, Kage was in his own kind of mourning, where emotions were pushed aside for personal duty. He was doing this for his father, just as Taiyou did in her way.

"Himi called," she informed. "He wanted to know whether the Chosen or the Tamers were leading the fight. Apparently, he and Tomoki fought over it."

"Well, we have to show that we new Tamers can fight just as well as the ones in the other world, and just as well as the Chosen," Kage decided with a laugh. "But it wouldn't be fair to leave them out. BlackWarGreymon, do you mind sharing the fight?"

"It makes no difference to me."

"And Cyberdramon?" Taiyou added.

"If I must." His reluctance made the siblings laugh.

"All right then," Kage answered. "We wait for Ki and his team to arrive, so we'll have to be ready in case the Kaiser makes the first move." Taiyou and BlackWarGreymon gathered closer while Cyberdramon listened to them read off the battle plan.

* * *

Izumi lay half-asleep in bed, trying to get her mind off that morning. Kouri's sense and Ki's warning haunted her, making her wonder what Kouichi's next move would be. She turned to her side and closed her eyes, only to feel two small hands shaking her awake.

"'Zumi?" More shaking. "'Zumi?"

"Kouri, what's wrong?" she asked, sitting up. Tears were spilling over from the small girl's deep blue eyes.

"Something's wrong with Kouji," she replied, crying. "I keep seeing someone hurting him."

"Who? Who's hurting him?"

"A no-faced man."

Izumi pulled her covers back a little bit. "Do you want to sleep in my room tonight?" Kouri nodded before climbing in. She sat in Izumi's lap, clearly scared by her dreams. Izumi held her close. "My mother used to sing this when I couldn't sleep. Do you want to hear it?" Kouri nodded.

As she sang and held the little girl, in her mind's eye, an image formed. Kouji was trekking a long journey across a barren wasteland. He had a scrape across his forehead, but he was all right. He seemed to have aged a few more years emotionally, but the taxation never showed on him. And he _had _changed in so many ways—she could feel it.

Now she saw that he was not in fact alone. A friend was walking beside him, and in his heart, he held both old friends and new. The photos from their picnic all those four years ago appeared in phantasmic images, followed by the images of the changed Chosen Children; of Sakiko, Kotemon, and Koemon; of Ki; of a blonde boy and a brunette girl; of a girl in a straw hat and a boy with a kendo sword; of the Resistance; and yes, even of Taiyou. They were all with him, even though he couldn't see them or they couldn't see him.

Soon, the beautiful images became ugly as she saw Kouji running for his life in a black-and-white city. A battle between the Resistance and Imperial Guard commenced, seeming to provide no hope for the long night to end. Soon, she saw him drowning in a sea of his own blood, while an anonymous figure laughed in the distant shadows.

A black raven flew away, leaving behind several feathers from its wings.

A fierce battle ignited on the beach between two people: one glowing, and one shadowed. The one who was glowing was obviously Kouji, but the shadowed person was faceless. There was no way to tell who the faceless man was, but he fought with everything Kouji had, and more so. Was it Ki? But why would Ki be fighting Kouji? It didn't make any sense.

Waves swept across their feet throughout the battle, cold water against burning emotions. There would be no true victor in this battle.

It was as if the entire world knew of this battle. People Izumi had never met before were in her mind, cheering on Kouji as the seemingly endless battle spiraled downward. Though emotions were fierce, Izumi could detect no hatred or anger in him. Rather, there was a passion he'd never showed before. He was fighting for the ones he loved.

Suddenly, Kouji collapsed in the sand, much as he'd done three years ago. Izumi gasped in surprise and felt a shiver of fear from Kouri. The feeling they experienced was exactly as Kouji had three years ago described his sense of Kouichi's fall in the Shibuya station: a void of thinking.

The doorbell rang, waking up everyone in the apartment. Izumi and Kouri were the first to reach the door, however, and Izumi gasped in surprise when she looked through the peephole. She hurriedly unlocked the door to reveal Kouji, who, despite a scrape on his forehead, was unharmed in any way. He was still tightly bundled in a thick coat and gloves, so everyone helped him in to avoid the autumn cold outside.

"Are you all right?" Izumi checked.

"Yeah," he answered, peeling his gloves off to reveal his bandaged hands. "I'm a little bruised, but I'm okay. My guide and I got caught in an accident. We were lucky our pilot tracked us down, or we might have frozen."

While a warm reception continued indoors, Zachary Wallace placed a pair of goggles atop his reddish-brown hair. Behind him stood Ki.

"You headed off again?" Zachary asked.

"Yeah. There's something I want to check out."

Zachary offered his hand. "Good luck."

Ki shook it, surprised. Though they were both mission commanders, and therefore obligated to work together, he was surprised that he was still offered fortune and friendship after all this. "Thanks. I'll see you all later."

And then he turned, not really needing to say goodbye.

_-san: a rather respectful suffix_

_Qipao: a Chinese dress_

_Sakura: cherry blossoms_

**The raven came from Raven in _Zoids_. Also, I should have mentioned this to Raven Nightstrider before, but yes, I do write some of the _Digimon_ episode summaries for Anime Admirers, just trying to help Julie out. And before anyone asks, yes, ****Ki's jacket is Daisuke's when he goes to the Digital World.****And, to let people know, the great Ken's luver (Nic) got up her epic "Doppelgangland," the story this was inspired by. She and I bounced ideas off each other for both "Doppel" and "Broken Wings." If you like this, you'll most likely like her story. I won't necessarily say it's the Kenyako version of mine, but the stories are very similar. Basically, it's a ****_02 _****meets ****_02 _****fic, in which our Ken ends up in another world where Osamu is alive and the Kaiser—just as Kouichi is in this. Ken must join the Resistance (originally not named, but Nic put it in when I wrote this. Like she always says when I do something she did: Great minds think alike) in order to stop him, but he must also remember that Osamu is not the same one he knows. **


	21. Oreta Tsubasa de, Part One

_"I became aware that I would not fly again_  
_I know that broken wings do not fly."  
__Kouichi Kimura—"Oreta Tsubasa de"  
__(Translated by KarenSedai)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Sixteen: "Oreta Tsubasa de, Part One"

He made his way down the familiar streets of Tamachi, the ones he'd wandered every day of his life. His mission was to find the Tamachi T.M. apartment complex. Funny. He never had this problem back home. He could blindly wander around the streets, his mind elsewhere, and he'd suddenly find himself unlocking the door. Maybe it was because he was trying to hard to find the buildings that he was having such a hard time. Or perhaps it was the pouring rain, soaking through to his legs (which were unprotected by his black anorak) and creating no more than a gray haze around him. His disposition becoming even more bitter by the rain, he pulled his hood lower and kept walking.

Ten-year-old Toshiko Kawamaru glanced out the window, desperately searching for the young man they had called.

"Arc, I don't see him," she alerted.

"Have patience, Toshiko. He'll be here."

His instincts took over once the elevator stopped at the correct floor. He casually walked to apartment 303 and reached in his pocket for the key, only to remember that it wasn't there. Feeling awkward at being a guest in his own home, he nervously pressed the buzzer.

"Who is it?" a young girl questioned.

"Ken Ichijouji," he answered.

The door rapidly opened, and the girl ushered him in. She glanced around the corners and locked the door tight.

"Arc, he's here," she informed.

"Toshiko, where are your manners?" a familiar voice asked from the kitchen. "I raised you better than that."

"Oh, sorry," she apologized, taking his wet jacket.

Ken removed his thoroughly soaked sneakers and socks and stood in the hallway, wearing a long-sleeved gray thermal-knit T-shirt, a thin quilted black vest, and black nylon pants that were sure to dry soon.

"Hello, Ken," greeted a tall, white-haired woman in a close-fitting red dress. Ken stared at her in shock. "It's good to see you again."

"Uh, it's good to see you too, I guess, Archnemon," he replied.

"Please, here it's just 'Arc.'"

"Arc then," he corrected himself.

"You two know each other?" the girl asked.

"Toshiko Kawamaru, Ken Ichijouji, the Chosen Child of Kindness," Archnemon introduced. "Ken, this is my adopted daughter."

"I see you've made quite a life here," he observed, accepting a cup of jasmine-scented tea.

"Arc is a successful businesswoman," Toshiko explained. "With her money, she was able to rebuild—"

"Actually, Toshiko, I was saving that as a surprise," Archnemon interrupted.

"Oh. Oops."

"Can you get our jackets? We'll have to be leaving soon."

"Sure," she agreed, getting up from the couch. "It's really coming down out there."

As soon as Toshiko was out of earshot, Ken turned to his former nemesis. "I'm glad for you. You're getting the chance Mummymon and Oikawa didn't get."

"I've set up a trust fund for Toshiko. When the time comes, she'll have full access to my firm. I don't want her to be left without anything."

"I guess you finally know what it's like to love," Ken decided. "I'm just sorry you had to learn this way. And I'm sorry no one other than the Kaiser passed through the portal with you."

"Whatever happened to…" She seemed to choke on the words. "My father? Whatever happened to Oikawa?" Why was it so hard for her to say? Yukio Oikawa had created her from his own DNA, so he was her father. It only made sense. So why couldn't she admit it? Or was it that she was afraid of what she'd learn?

Ken sighed. "He never had a chance. He died before Iori could get him through the portal."

"The boy," Archnemon realized. "The one that fascinated BlackWarGreymon."

He nodded. "In the end, your father could never achieve his dream. He didn't have the strength to take that one step into the Digital World. And even after all he did to me, I still mourn his loss, as does Iori."

"Hmm," Archnemon answered.

"How did you know to contact me?" Ken questioned.

"Toshiko and I have kept in contact with a Chosen Child named Kouji Minamoto…"

"Kouji Minamoto? How did you meet him?"

"The new Kaiser, Kouichi Kimura, recognized me from your memories and enslaved me. I encountered a Tailmon who promised to help me escape so long as I kept watch over a boy named Kouji. The boy and I finally met in a train station when he was trying to get Toshiko to safety. I promised to take custody of her. After Kouji's escape, we've been corresponding via e-mail. Apparently, the address to your D-terminal is in his contacts list, and Toshiko managed to hack into it. She's just as clever as you and that Koushiro boy. If we weren't in another world, I'd wonder if she had a Dark Seed like you do." Ken hid a smile. It was funny how things turned out. "And what of the other Chosen? I'm surprised they're not with you. You were always inseparable, especially you and that Daisuke boy."

Ken's smile soon became a frown. "I regret to inform you that the Chosen no longer exist. It's amazing the older Chosen managed to get us all into this world without any of us killing each other."

"How did this all happen?"

"If you want the answers, ask Kouji. He knows the whole story now."

Toshiko appeared with two trench coat-style raincoats and a couple of flashlights. "Here you go, Arc."

"Thank you. Ken, you'd better get your jacket. There's something we want to show you."

The trio exited into the blinding rain and took the train at Tamachi station, continually trading trains till reaching the Toyoko line. Never once did Ken lower his hood, afraid of the undue attention his appearances would receive.

After walking around a well-off neighborhood in Yokohama for anywhere between ten and twenty minutes, Archnemon located one house in particular that was different from the others, reasons for which Ken could not see.

"My company hired contractors to rebuild this," she informed. "I have enough influence to counter that of the Imperial Guards. As long as that company and this district are under my protection, Kouichi Kimura will not dare to harm them. Although, that doesn't stop him from holding raids every once in a while."

"But what's so special about this house?" Ken questioned.

"You didn't see the hearthstone," Toshiko observed. She shined her flashlight over a single slab of gray marble in the concrete wall surrounding the house. It took a couple of minutes for Ken to read the kanji, having gotten used to romaji, katakana, and hiragana for the past few months, but he was able to read the name "Minamoto" carved in the stone.

"Minamoto?" he exclaimed.

"Yes," Archnemon replied calmly. "This was the surprise. I found this house burned to ashes, worth nothing to anyone but those who'd been forced to leave it. I located the blueprints and convinced my company to rebuild it."

"Come on!" Toshiko urged. "Let's go inside!"

The second Archnemon unlocked the door, Ken felt a sudden burst of the personification of memories. True, he never had the gift Hikari did; but as the door opened, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu, as though he'd been there before. He carefully removed his wet shoes, socks, and jacket, and stood in the doorway.

"Weird feeling, isn't it?" Toshiko asked. "This place just reeks of memories."

"Reeks" wasn't exactly the word Ken would have used, but it gave a fairly decent description. The house seemed to give off an aura of emotions: of joy and sorrow, of life and death, of hope and despair. Almost as though he'd lived there himself, Ken wandered around the house, noting where furniture was supposed to be and who was supposed to be where.

Slowly, he walked upstairs, heeding the echoes of the past: voices talking, a baby crying, and the music of someone softly playing the electric guitar. The music was something he'd heard before, thanks to Hikari's obsession with it. It was a song Kouji had created years ago, something he rarely sang outside his friends and family. People always said, "If these walls could talk…" and then imagined what they'd say. Ken wasn't imagining; he was listening.

He turned the knob of a door on the right side of the stairs. The room, naturally, was empty, and thunderheads were visible outside the terrace window. Only now did he marvel at the irony. Did Kouji step out on that terrace the way he and Osamu used to at their home? It wasn't hard to imagine he had.

Against the wall from which the door opened, there was supposed to be a bed. Against that was usually an electric guitar—a gift for Kouji's tenth birthday. He'd usually sit on his bed or at his desk, playing it while it was hooked to a small amplifier he kept in his closet. Against the back wall, there was supposed to be a desk, where Kouji would keep pictures of his shattered family. His cell phone would rest on either his desk or dresser.

But right in the middle of his empathic experience, Ken noted several troops approaching. Various colorful words exited his mouth as he raced downstairs and to battle.

"Back home, are you, Kaiser?" asked the leader.

"What?" Ken questioned, forgetting that he'd discarded his anorak and with it, the hood that was his mask.

"Ken, run!" Archnemon warned, having taken on her Digimon form. "Spider Thread!" She tied up the fighters as best as she could, but an armor-penetrating bullet hit her chest.

"Arc!" Toshiko cried.

"Arc?" repeated the leader. "Stand down!"

Toshiko ran to her surrogate mother's side, Ken right behind her.

"Ken, I hope you found what you were looking for," she gasped, her life fading fast. "Toshiko, I'm sorry…"

The Digimon in this world showed DigiCode when they were dying, as did she. No one dared touch a shimmering speck of her data as it flew into the sky.

"What's going to happen now?" Toshiko questioned in between sobs.

"I don't know," admitted a very somber Ken Ichijouji. "Some Digimon are reborn in the Real World; some aren't." In a few short moments, he'd formed a good friendship with his old enemy. Instead of answering more, he walked to the gunmen. "Next time, be sure you have the right person. It would be wise to remember twins." Disgusted, he put on his socks, shoes, and jacket, and left.

But what he didn't notice was a large red egg inside the entranceway of the Minamotos' home. Toshiko walked over and picked it him, observing a purple design of a spider on it. That small bit of hope warmed her as she held it close in the freezing rain.

-------  
Daisuke Motomiya sat in a Hong Kong hotel, waiting. He wore clothes almost exactly like those he wore in the Digital World back home, only he had a red fleece jacket and under his baggy green pants was a brace on his right knee. In the Digital World, digitizing repaired his shattered knee, allowing him to do things that he no longer could in the Real World, such as running, jumping, and all around fighting. In his hand was a switchblade. The weapon was a beautiful piece of work: a royal blue handle with a silver dragon on it. The dragon's eyes were gleaming red rhinestones, staring long and hard at its owner.

He was bunking with Takeru, if only to keep him from strangling Ken, who would be bunked with Iori. Fortunately, Hikari and Miyako were at least on speaking terms with each other, so they shared a room (saving the group from controversial pairing of both boys and girls). Taichi had given him full authority to murder anyone who started an argument, and Ryo's friend Ruki suggested that he get a knife. Both Taichi Yagami and Ruki Makino had been completely serious, so Daisuke never went anywhere without placing his blade in a canvas belt he wore religiously.

Someone knocked on the door, and Daisuke checked before letting in the other four Chosen. Ken was on his way there from Japan, leaving their former team down to five.

Iori took a spot on the other bed while the other three stood around like stray lambs waiting for the shepherd. Iori was the unofficial second-in-command, and the only other one besides Daisuke that everyone really listened to. Across his lap was his kendo sword while Daisuke hid his switchblade in his belt. And that was the way it was: Daisuke would use lethal force if necessary, and Iori would only do so much to injure an opponent.

"Just to inform you all," Daisuke began, "Kouji is safely at home."

"I met with Kage earlier," Iori added. "I told him I was speaking on behalf of Ki. Turns out there are Imperials in the city." He was met with silence.

"Don't you people care?" Daisuke demanded. "This isn't a petty game or anything! This is real!" It took every ounce of his self-control not to remove his knife again. "Well?"

"We have a problem," Hikari informed.

"No freakin' duh!" Daisuke loudly proclaimed.

"I'm serious," she continued. "Ki e-mailed me. He found a young girl who shares my gift."

"What?" Miyako asked.

"How strong?" Iori questioned.

"Strong enough to sense that attack in Antarctica. Worse, it's Kouji's sister."

Daisuke's eyes drifted from to an abandoned black T-shirt, camouflage-print pants, black boots, and tan coat left behind by Ki. The hood from Demon's cloak had been ripped off and was now resting in the silt of a river in the Digital World.

"Why is it that battle brings out the best in you?" Iori asked, voicing Daisuke's thoughts. "You cooperate fine when faced with the prospect of battle, but not on any other circumstances. At least Ken has his past to keep him functioning."

"If all we thrive for is battle," Daisuke added calmly, fingering the sharp blade from within the belt pouch, "then we have actually become the Kaiser."

"'And as they looked into the blue eyes of the devil, they wondered how it all could have come to this,'" Hikari quoted. "Takeru wrote that about the battle with Demon. I didn't think it would apply to Kouichi as well."

"So are you saying the fighting is over?" Iori questioned. Takeru nodded.

"Finally," Ken agreed, walking in. "Lock the door next time. Imperials are here, remember?" He walked over and took a seat between the two beds. The three seated Chosen were rulers on their thrones: leader Daisuke, second-in-command Iori, and third-in-command Ken.

"What did you find out?" Miyako asked.

"Not much, but thanks to Archnemon, I found out some about Kouji's life before this mess started."

"Archnemon?" Takeru repeated. Ken nodded.

"But, anyway, we need to work on a strategy," he decided.

"Any ideas?" Hikari asked, her way of apologizing.

-------  
Izumi refrained from mentioning the vision she'd seen when she held Kouri. Kouji had enough on his mind at the moment without that news, so it was better to keep it quiet. But at an emergency conference, she would regret her choice.

They met in the computer lab after school, as requested by an e-mail Kage received. Only the Chosen, Kage, BlackWarGreymon, Taiyou, Cyberdramon, Himi, Gabumon, Takamoto, the former Great Angels, and Kouri were allowed to come. Everyone was on edge, and no weapons were left behind. When they entered, they found a brown-haired boy only Tomoki's age sitting at a computer, typing.

"Kid, you need to leave," Takamoto informed. "Resistance business."

"That's why I'm here," he answered, turning around. He was dressed rather warmly for the weather, in a golden-colored sweater, khakis, and a dark brown coat—seemingly accustomed to a hot climate.

"Brad?" Kouji recognized.

"Yes," he replied, "though that isn't my name. I'm Iori Hida, former bearer of the Digimentals of Knowledge and Sincerity. I apologize for not being entirely truthful, but too much was at stake."

"Then Calliope was Miyako," he realized.

"Yes," Iori replied. "I'll let the others introduce themselves later—I think you might be a little surprised at their identities. Kouji might not be, but the rest of you will."

"Where's Ki?" Izumi questioned.

-------  
The aforementioned Chosen was currently making his way through Kouichi's base. He'd stolen a pass keycard and had discreetly begun releasing the slaves.

_This level's blocked,_ he realized, swiping the card through a keypad. _Must be electronically protected. Kouichi knows I'm here._

"So, it's you," observed the voice of the new Kaiser. More than a little perturbed, Ki turned around. "You've been a thorn in my side far too long. Now to see who you _really_ are!" He tore the white fisherman's hat off Ki's head, shocked at whom he saw. "You?"

"Hello, Kaiser," the unmasked Ki greeted. "Long time no see!" His voice rising to a fury, he punched Kouichi in the jaw and made a mad dash for a helicopter outside.

-------  
"As we speak, Ki is trying to release the slaves from Kouichi's base," Iori explained. "Hikari is contacting her brother Taichi in the principal's office. She's informing him, the other Chosen, Gennai, and the Tamers on our situation."

"The Imperials," Kage realized. "They're in the city." Everyone looked at him for an explanation. "BlackWarGreymon located a few two days ago. I thought that was all of them, but I highly doubt it now."

A feeling of dread filled Kouji, much like the hair rising at the back of one's neck. He looked around the room, trying to locate the cause. And when he did, the fear hit him like nothing else he'd experienced. "Where's Kouri?"

"No," Iori denied, realizing what had just occurred. He pulled out his yellow D-3 and his D-terminal. "She couldn't have…"

"Couldn't have what?" Kouji asked.

"Where's the nearest beach?"

"A few blocks away, why?" Izumi questioned.

"Don't ask," Iori instructed. "Just head there now! Tailmon, Patamon, go with her!"

-------  
Kouri ran down the streets as fast as her little legs would take her. She could feel him, and she knew he could feel her, so she summoned him to a location so similar to where it had all begun:

The beach.

On one side of the sandy shores stood a young man dressed all in black, and several Perfect and Ultimate Digimon. Part of Kouri trembled in fear at the sight of the faceless man who haunted her dreams, but an undeniable courage flowed through her veins, allowing her to step forward.

"Are you Kouichi?" she asked in a small, timid voice. The young man didn't answer. More loudly, she demanded, "I have to know! Is it true? Are you my brother? Are you my _niisan_?"

"Yes," he answered in a toneless, emotionless voice. He then held out a small silver pistol and cocked it twice before firing.

A loud scream informed Izumi, Tailmon, and Patamon of Kouri's predicament.

"This way!" shouted a brunette girl in a shade-changing pink jacket, white peasant top, tan pants, and beige beret. Beside her was a blonde boy in a dark gray T-shirt, a long blue coat decorated with yellow paw-prints, and black jeans.

"Patamon and Tailmon will have to evolve though," he realized.

"Don't worry about me," Tailmon assured. "I can do it on my own."

"Takeru," the girl began, "you don't think…"

"It's worth a try," he decided.

Both held out digivices that looked oddly like D-scanners. Takeru's was white-and-green, while the girl's was white-and-pink—just like the one Tailmon had described. Each shot out a light of its respective color, giving Patamon a little boost for evolution.

"Patamon evolve! HolyAngemon!"

"Tailmon evolve! Angewomon!"

The two Perfect-level angels flew toward the location the girl, introduced as Hikari, provided. Kouri was clutching her arm and crying while a tall, rabbit-like Perfect battled Sakuyamon, Lilymon, Dukemon, and WarGreymon.

"It's about time Antiramon made an appearance," Takeru commented while HolyAngemon flew over and scooped Kouri out of harm's way.

"That arm looks bad," he observed, carefully holding her burned arm.

"Is there anything you can do?" Angewomon questioned. HolyAngemon placed a hand on the burns, releasing a rainbow-colored light.

"I've stopped it from progressing for now," he informed, "but she will need to see a doctor."

"It's too dangerous to try and get her out of here now," Angewomon argued. "We'll have to wait until the danger is over." She gently gave the crying child to Izumi, who cradled her carefully.

"All Three Great Angels," Kouichi noticed. "I'm honored."

"Don't be," Hikari replied. "Your reign is coming to an end."

"The curtain's closing, Kouichi," Takeru agreed.

"Hikari Yagami, the original Child of Light," Kouichi recognized, "and Takeru Takaishi, Child of Hope. After all these years, you're still just as naïve."

"Have you forgotten me?" Izumi asked.

"Ah, the lovely Izumi Orimoto of Wind," he observed. "There is still so much you don't comprehend, and with your closed mind, you'd never understand."

"So be it," she answered.

"Treasure Ax!" Antiramon ordered, his arms becoming blades, which he used to slice through his enemies' attacks.

"Excalibur!" HolyAngemon added, extending a long violet sword. Sakuyamon blocked with her staff, but the newly evolved angel was surprisingly far stronger than she was.

"How were you able to find her?" Izumi questioned.

"We were able to track the Crest of Kindness," Hikari explained.

"The what?" Izumi asked.

"The Crest of Kindness," Takeru repeated. "Ken's Crest."

Kouri removed a small piece of pink glass from her pocket. "Ki told me to keep it all the time."

"Good girl," Hikari replied. "Now, let's try and get her to safety."

Carrying Kouri, Izumi ran from the beach, heading in the direction of the school. Hikari and Takeru ran alongside her, as if bodyguards. A lilac-haired girl in a turquoise blouse, long sea foam green skirt, and white leather jacket stood outside.

"Miyako," Hikari recognized.

"They've all moved to the Minamotos' apartment," she informed. "Come on!"

At the apartment, everyone was standing around anxiously, needing to know what to do next. Iori had commandeered Kage's computer, trying to get a message to his friends on the other side.

Izumi, Kouri, Takeru, Hikari, and Miyako burst in, scaring and relieving all. Kouri was still crying, and clutching her head with her good hand.

"Kouri, what's wrong?" Satomi asked.

"Mommy, he's in my head," she cried.

"Who's in your head?" Kousei questioned.

"Kouichi. He's in my head and it hurts!"

An expression of pure disgust appeared on Kouji's face as he asked, "What did he do to you?"

"Kouji _niisan_…"

Never once in Kouri's whole life had she called him that. And Kouji didn't need the feeling of the knife twisting in his heart to tell him that being called "_niisan_" meant something was horribly wrong.

"What did he do?" His voice was soft and comforting, and he carefully took her arm in his hand.

"He hit my arm with a red light!"

"Red light?" Miyako repeated.

"A laser," Taiyou realized.

"The one he stole from me," Kouji concluded. He shouted several words Izumi hadn't heard him say in years before finally storming into his room and locking the door. When he emerged several minutes later, he was dressed in the remainder of his Beowulfmon armor, holding his sabers in one hand and his helmet in the other. Around his neck, beneath the Black Ring, was his defuser—something he never thought he'd need again.

"What are you planning to do?" Hikari asked.

"Finishing what we started," he answered, placing the sabers in a holster apparatus in the armor on his back. They were completely concealed and appeared to be part of the original armor. "He's been two steps ahead of me, using our curse as twins to track my every move."

"The hypnosis session," Izumi remembered, "when he got in your head that time… He's been tracking your thought pattern ever since!"

"And now he's doing the same to Kouri," Takeru added.

"Not for long," Kouji replied. He had that look in his eyes that indicated he was determined to do this, come what may.

"You can't do it alone," Takuya argued while Kouji sorted through the many shoes at the entranceway until he found his sneakers. "Look, at least let us come with you."

"You'll need help fighting those Digimon," Tomoki added.

A knock at the door startled them all. Kouji checked before opening it to the auburn-haired boy he'd known as Zachary Wallace. One look at the goggles around his neck said his identity before anyone else could.

"Daisuke," Iori addressed, "we've been waiting."

"Ken isn't here yet?" he observed.

"No," Kage answered, "but there's no time to wait. We have to stop the Kaiser now."

"All right then," Daisuke agreed, "what do we do?"

"Well, first we…"

"Kouji _niisan_?" Kouri called. Having found his shoes, he walked over to her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Hold onto this for me," she requested, handing him a small piece of glass.

"The Crest of Kindness?" Hikari questioned.

"Maybe it can bring you good luck," Kouri suggested.

A strangely familiar heaviness filled Kouji's heart as he held the small piece of glass in his hand. He knew this feeling all too well: the sense of imminent doom, mingled with a dash of fear, a rush of adrenaline, and a great deal of knowledge that this could very well be the last time he and his family and friends would see each other. It all created an unbearable sense of sorrow and loneliness in his heart. He removed his left glove and placed the Crest in between the layers of his bandages, invoking a smile from Kouri.

"Dad, Satomi, Mom," he requested, "get her to Dr. Yamamoto. Don't wait to pack."

"And for the rest of us?" Izumi questioned.

He placed his helmet on his head. "We fight."

-------  
Antiramon, HolyAngemon, and Angewomon were still fending off the four Digimon when their back-up fighting arrived. And it was incredible! Vritramon, Blizzarmon, Bolgmon, and Shutumon—all four of them awaiting battle. Kage, Taiyou, Himi, and Takamoto held fully charged weapons while BlackWarGreymon, Cyberdramon, and MetalGarurumon prepared to fire their attacks. And Kouji, Daisuke, Iori, Takeru, Miyako, and Hikari stood seemingly unarmed, as if ignoring the danger around. But something seemed odd in the Digimon's plan of attack.

"No one's protecting Kouichi," Daisuke whispered to Vritramon.

"You're right," he realized. "Everyone, attack!"

The whole fiasco was beautifully executed. The small army charged their enemies, fighting with a ferocity never seen before. BlackWarGreymon and WarGreymon sparred at each other with their sharp Dramon Killers while MetalGarurumon and Cyberdramon attacked from behind.

"Great Tornado!" WarGreymon attacked.

"Black Tornado!" BlackWarGreymon matched.

A horizontal, golden-orange cyclone sped toward a nearly identical black one. Both Ultimates pulled out of their attacks after impact, but not without injury. Each WarGreymon was rather scratched and battered from the collision, but neither wanted to back down.

"Gaia Force!"

"Gaia Force!"

An orange sun collided and exploded with a red sun, causing a brilliant flash of light to engulf them. Taking advantage of the situation, Cyberdramon used his ultra-acute senses to locate a momentarily blinded WarGreymon, and add in his contribution.

"Cyber Nail!"

A deep scratch formed in the Ultimate's armor. A Perfect was not enough to cause a great deal of damage, but to a Dramon Killer, this incident was unforgivable.

"Gaia Force!"

Cyberdramon could feel the large sphere of hot energy heading toward him. Without eyesight, he had no way of locating a safe exit. He was, for once, helpless.

"Cocytus Breath!"

MetalGarurumon's icy attack intercepted the Gaia Force sphere, freezing it. Sensing safety instantly, Cyberdramon reached up and sent another attack at the now-frozen sphere.

"Erase Claw!"

Instead of slowly deleting the attack, the Erase Claw caused a chain reaction that detonated it. Harmless shards of ice hit the ground.

One shard landed right in the middle of another battle zone, but Vritramon crushed it as he took a step back. He, Blizzarmon, and Bolgmon were in tough combat with Dukemon, Aiding them were Kage, Taiyou, and Miyako.

"Corona Blaster!" he desperately fired.

Each bullet harmlessly reflected off Dukemon's shining white armor. Miyako, Taiyou, and Kage assisted with their lasers, but the Ultimate never showed a sign that he'd felt the concentrated light beams ever hit him, much less hurt him. He turned his head, observing the one Chosen Child and two Tamers, and raised his long javelin into the air. Bright blue energy gathered at the tip, and he brought the saber down, pointing it at his enemies. Then he pulled it back and thrust it forward, sending forth the attack.

"Royal Saber!"

Without so much as a moment's hesitation, Bolgmon and Blizzarmon placed themselves in front of it, taking it just in time to prevent harm to the three humans.

"_Arigatou gozaimasu_!" Miyako cried as the two took a brief moment to recover.

Dukemon knew this was the perfect opportunity to strike. He turned his attention to Vritramon and aimed his shield.

"Final Elysian!"

The nearly invincible attack struck Vritramon hard, automatically returning him to his human form.

"Ugh," he groaned, picking himself off the ground. "That does it!" He held out his D-scanner and concentrated on a power he hadn't used in a long time: "Double Spirit Evolution! Ardhamon!"

"Takuya _onii-chan_, good idea!" Blizzarmon cheered.

"Tomoki," Bolgmon warned, "don't expect him to do everything. Remember, Dukemon's an Ultimate."

"We'll do what we can too!" Miyako assured.

"Now!" Ardhamon ordered. "Brahma Sutra!"

"Avalanche Step!"

"Double Thunder!"

Attacks and lasers struck at Dukemon, never once slowing to a halt. One of Blizzarmon's axes caught the reflection of the sun and reflected it into the silver blade of Daisuke's knife as he delved it into Lilymon's side.

"Flower Cannon!" she growled angrily, narrowly missing Himi.

"Be careful, Daisuke," Takeru warned, "she's a Perfect!"

"Even without being a Ultimate, she's still powerful!" Hikari added.

"I know that!" he replied, withdrawing his knife and taking a strategic retreat.

"Daisuke, try this," Takamoto suggested, handing over another laser.

"No thanks," he refused.

"Are you crazy?" Himi demanded.

"If Iori's determined to fight with no more than a bamboo kendo sword, this little blade is enough for me!"

Lasers flying behind him, he charged ahead with all the determination of Iori, who was currently blocking Sakuyamon's staff with his sword. As the staff continued to press down on him, HolyAngemon placed his sword underneath it as well.

"It seems two need to push this back," he observed. Both he and Iori poured forth a great deal of strength and nearly threw Sakuyamon off balance.

"Holy Arrow!" Angewomon shouted. A single white arrow sped past Sakuyamon's head, slicing off several strands of her silver hair.

"Treasure Ax!" Antiramon assisted, slamming into the Ultimate once more.

"Wind of…" Shutumon began.

"Wait," Iori warned. "We've got a pretty good handle on Sakuyamon now, but Daisuke and the others won't have so much luck. Go assist them!"

"Okay," she agreed, flying toward the battle with Lilymon.

"Your reasoning in that was, leader?" Antiramon asked.

"Sakuyamon did a lot of horrible things to Kouji, according to all I've learned. If Izumi fought her, the desire for vengeance could easily blind her from the original goal—to stop Kouichi." The Great Angels nodded their understanding.

As Shutumon headed to assist Daisuke, she took a brief glance behind to see how the Three Great Angels and Iori were faring without her. They seemed to be fine, but in the distance, Kouichi was apparently retreating while Kouji took chase.

_What are they doing?_ she wondered.

Kouji ran after Kouichi, the words of his challenge echoing in his head:

_"This can all end, Kouji. You know what you have to do. But do you have the courage to make that sacrifice?"_

_I may be reluctant to make sacrifices, Kouichi, _he thought, _but don't assume that I won't make any. This has gone on long enough. I'll see to it that this ends here and now!_

His pace never changed as he followed the darkly clothed ruler through the streets of Hong Kong. Startled people panicked at the sight of the Digimon Kaiser and instinctively ran for cover. As the two young men kept on running, they disturbed vendors, animals, and anyone else that got in their way. But in Kouji's mind's eye, there was nobody else. He never recalled any other people in the street.

Near the Bank of Hong Kong, loudly whirring rotors informed him of two Black Hawk class helicopters—one ahead of him, and one behind. Imperial Guard agents sprung out, surrounding him while Kouichi stared at him and laughed.

Back at the beach, Sakuyamon, Dukemon, WarGreymon, and Lilymon suddenly retreated, leaving several weary Digimon to either devolve or rest, and several bewildered humans to stare after their adversaries in shock. Two black helicopters were seen flying overhead, heading across the sea, and a sudden sensation of dread filled them all.

"They have him," Izumi realized.

Takuya cursed loudly. "All those months of searching wasted! All this time, he was right under our noses, just waiting for us to be foolish—no, _idiotic_—enough to appear!"

"What is Kouichi going to do to him?" Izumi questioned. "He's tortured him before, but that was before he was enough of a sociopath to kill him!"

"He won't kill him," a familiar voice informed. They turned to see the young man once called Ki. His gray shirt and black vest were damp with the same sweat that beaded down his forehead. "At least, not yet. I don't know; his actions have become different from the original Kaiser's were. But I do know that first, he'll humiliate him publicly, to make an example out of him. Then comes the private little hell, torture. Food will be withheld in order to discourage rebellion. I know that's what he'll do because that's what I did to a Tsunomon that ran away." He took a breath, nearly inhaling his dark hair. "Whatever happens next is up is up to Kouichi, and Kouji has to decide whether or not he wants to survive."

"Is it really that cruel, Ken?" Izumi asked. Ki, or Ken, nodded.

"Then where are they headed?" Miyako questioned.

"That's what we have to find out."

_Arigatou gozaimasu: thank you very much_****

**Note to Raven Nightstrider: Emotional enough for you? I agree that the previous three chapters were lacking in emotional content (minus Brad/Iori), but it's very hard trying to write the chapters reading up to the end of a beloved fic, as you'll probably learn soon. Besides, I have plenty of emotional angst in the prequel, "Echoes of Angels Who Won't Return."**

**And now everyone knows: Ken is Ki. I want to formerly apologize to Saturos/Red Outburst for putting him through so much hell with trying to guess Ki's identity. And I also apologize to Raven Nightstrider for sneaking away to DMF to read. I hope you still enjoyed this though, and I hope it wasn't too hard to figure out—Nic had it after his first appearance as Ki!**

**"No freakin' duh!" came from a friend of mine named Jen, who yelled it out in either English or biology. Oh, and suggested music for this: "Miracle Maker" for the final battle scene in this part. Or you can use any really upbeat song that would work as battle music. Oh, and while I'm at it, Ken's outfit comes from that FBI agent in _Red Dragon._ That and _Pretender _are where the scene in the house is from, and _Pretender _inspired just about everything else in this chapter, especially the chase scene and the "sacrifices" line.**


	22. Oreta Tsubasa de, Part Two

_"I became aware that I would not fly again_  
_I know that broken wings do not fly."  
__Kouichi Kimura—"Oreta Tsubasa de"  
__(Translated by KarenSedai)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Sixteen: "Oreta Tsubasa de, Part Two"

"All right, let's see," Sakiko decided, spreading out a map. She pushed away a strand of half-brown, half-purple hair and examined the map. "Here's your original location, and here's the direction the helicopters were headed. I'd say it was northeast."

"The tracking for the Crest of Kindness halted here," Ken pointed, "and it seems to be slowly moving now."

"Tokyo?" Takuya observed. Ken nodded.

"But why there?" Junpei asked.

"Junpei, turn on the TV," Ken ordered after a thought. "Turn to any news channel."

"Local or international?"

"It doesn't matter. Kotemon, keep an eye on it and let us know if there's any breaking news. Koemon, you're in charge of the volume."

While the two Child Digimon anxiously watched the television, Ken, Takuya, Junpei, Tomoki, Izumi, Taiyou, Himi, Takamoto, and Sakiko looked over the map. Hikari was at the hospital, checking up on Kouri's condition; and Kage was experimenting with her digivice in front of the very anxious Daisuke, Iori, Takeru, and Miyako. Patamon, Tailmon, and Lopmon stood guard at the door.

"Are you sure that'll work?" Daisuke questioned.

"It will," Kage assured. "Miyako, while you're waiting, install that webcam and the dimensional interface system into my computer."

"All right. But I'll need to contact Koushiro and the others."

"Go right ahead. Just hurry."

The sixteen-year-old computer genius quickly began installing the camera and interface, following Kage's exact instructions (as had Iori earlier) so the computer would respond to her. After several or so minutes and a reboot later, the camera was installed and Miyako set up a conference with the Chosen on the other side. Save for Kage, Kotemon, and Koemon, everyone gathered around to see a redheaded seventeen-year-old boy, a platinum blonde fifteen-year-old boy with pale blue eyes, an eighteen-year-old boy with a large mess of brown hair, a blonde boy resembling an eighteen-year-old Takeru, a red-haired girl of the same age, a strawberry-blonde seventeen-year-old girl, and a boy of nineteen years with long bluish hair and frameless glasses.

"Amistad? Yuuki? Ai?" Izumi recognized, referring to the eighteen-year-olds.

"Yeah," the Takeru look-alike replied. "But I'm really Yamato Ishida, Takeru's brother. Ai is Sora Takenouchi, and Yuuki is Taichi Yagami, Hikari's brother. Our genius with the red hair is Koushiro Izumi. The short blonde is Wallace Ford, and his girlfriend—the strawberry-blonde dressed in pink—is Mimi Tachikawa. The guy with glasses is Jyou Kido, our resident doctor-to-be."

"We have a serious problem," Iori informed. "Kouji was captured."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Taichi checked.

"We can't be entirely certain, but Ken's been tracking him with the Crest," Daisuke explained.

"I guess that's too good of an indication," Sora commented.

"Ken, what do you expect next?" Yamato asked.

"Knowing the way the Kaiser thinks, Kouichi will have a press conference open all over the world," he answered. "It'll be subtitled. It's his ego. The Kaiser will want his voice heard."

A knock at the door interrupted him. Patamon slowly flew over and checked through the peephole. Seeing that it was Hikari, he tried to turn the doorknob, but it was impossible for his tiny hands. Takeru went over and assisted.

"Kouri's okay, but they had to put her in surgery," she informed.

"What did they do about her gift?" Izumi questioned.

"The most they could do was keep her sedated," she explained. "That way, Kouichi can't exploit it."

"What injuries did she sustain?" Jyou asked.

"Third-degree burns, so they had to replace a lot of the skin on her arm. She wasn't afraid of the surgery, but her brothers worried her. She's having trouble feeling Kouji, and Kouichi was still trying to establish contact with her."

"Can he do that if she's asleep?" Wallace questioned.

"Not in the way he was earlier or the way the Kaiser infiltrated Kouji's mind, but he will manage to give her nightmares." A haunted shadow swept across her face, something that hadn't happened in many years. "I had them too when I was summoned to the World of Darkness."

"Ken!" Kotemon called as Koemon rapidly turned up the volume. Miyako brought the computer closer to the TV as everyone diverted his or her attention to the news.

_"This is a special report," _the anchorman alerted. _"We take you live to Tokyo, Japan, where the Kaiser is making his address on the war with the Resistance."_ The footage switched to the Metropolitan Government Building in West Shinjuku, where all of Kouichi's slaves were seated on the street, their wrists and ankles chained together. Reporters were a "safe distance" away, recording.

In an Imperial high school near the abandoned Mt. Fuji Resistance Settlement, true Imperial students and those who had managed to keep their identities hidden throughout the chaos of the Masaki Nishigawa case watched the television in wonder. Had the traitor student been captured at last?

_"After three years of relentless searching,"_ Kouichi stated,_ "we have finally captured one of the key members of the Resistance." _He gestured behind him, where Sakuyamon brought forth a fully armored and handcuffed Kouji.

From the Resistance bases in the Digital World, fighters watched anxiously at the Digimon brought out. In a tent near the African caravan, Gotsumon clenched his trembling stony hands into fists at the sight of his comrade. Grizzmon and Dinohumon could offer no comfort, and the visiting V-mon was already trying to console Kotemon and Bearmon, who had recognized him on the spot. But even the blue victory dragon was depressed with the revelation, shaking his head in disappointment.

_"Allow me to introduce Beowulfmon, the creature formed by a merge between the Human and Beast Spirits of Light. Three years ago, he was a hero to prisoners, inspiring rebellion instead of reform. To the Resistance, he was the one who will destroy our way of life. Prisoners, Resistance, here is your hero!"_

He violently removed the helmet to expose the human underneath. Gasps of disbelief escaped many of the slaves while photographers eagerly snapped pictures. But he didn't know that in the Resistance's claimed (and appropriately named) Freeport High School in Freeport of Long Island, New York, students gasped in terror at the sight of the young man under the mask, and those students who had seen him at the institute in Melbourne, Australia, merely gaped in silence upon seeing his face.

In Freeport, those who recognized him called out the name "Gabriel Lee." Near the abandoned settlement, people smirked and whispered snide remarks about "Masaki Nishigawa." But in the Digital World, as in the apartment in Hong Kong and the hospital where his family waited, they could only be silent, save for a tiny girl who had just left surgery. A fresh bandage had been wrapped around her arm, and more sedatives had been fed to her. Her mother held her close while her father held her hand. Very close nearby was her half-brothers' mother, who watched the news report in devastation. Though she was barely awake, the small girl knew immediately what had happened, even without glancing up at the television. Just as her own infamous brother had a few years ago, she spoke out the name before succumbing to the numb darkness that called to her in the brightly lit room:

"Kouji."

_"Yes, this false Digimon is, in fact, the halfling fugitive Kouji Minamoto, whom we have been chasing for all these years. Citizens of both worlds can sleep peacefully tonight, knowing this known criminal and terrorist is off the streets."_ Whether there was any more to this telecast remains a mystery as the Chosen and Resistance turned it off and returned to business.

"West Shinjuku," Koushiro noticed.

"My hometown," Tomoki added.

"Most of the Tamers live there too," Hikari remembered. "Maybe we should contact Ryo or Jenrya?"

"No," Koushiro advised. "Kouichi won't stay there long."

"Right," Taichi agreed. "He knows that Takato, Jenrya, and Ruki are probably at the Metropolitan Building, just waiting to be called. Plus there's the fact that Tomoki and Yutaka lived there, so he knows that there will be experts on the city at your disposal."

"So now what?" Takeru asked.

"In a few hours, hopefully before tomorrow, you can contact Kouji and ask him," Kage informed. "I've been examining these D-3s, and I've found that they don't just _look_ like D-scanners, but they _function_ like them too."

"Well, armor evolution and spirit evolution _are_ similar," Iori admitted.

"The one difference is that D-scanners allow two-way communication while the D-3s don't. But, as you've known for the past three years, the Kaiser can tap into the D-scanners' communications, forcing you to maintain radio silence. So I've been installing a communication system that he can't access."

"But?" Taiyou pressed.

"But I can only install it in Hikari's. She shares the power of Light, so she stands the best chance of contacting Kouji. Also, this process takes a long time, a very long time. I might not have this finished until tomorrow—if then."

"Then it'll have to wait till then," Ken decided. "Hong Kong isn't Kouichi's command center anymore—Tokyo is. We need to head there."

"But where will we go?" Sakiko questioned. Everyone looked at her in doubt. "You have to take Kotemon, Koemon, and me. We know the cellblocks better than Ken does. Plus, we're the only ones who know the way to Cell 24." Ken sighed and nodded.

"But she does have a good point," Takuya observed. "Where _will_ we go?"

"Where else?" Kage answered with a grin. "The Railroad."

-------  
When Kouji was first placed in Cell 24, Renamon, Guilmon, Palmon, and Agumon had roughly thrown him in, locking him in isolation so no one could ever see him or learn his name. This time, however, things were a bit different. Kouichi shoved him all the way down Cellblock 18, with the cell doors opened so the slaves could see their former hero in such a humiliating position. When he fell, no one helped him up. Rather, they watched Kouichi beat him, wondering what to do about this. If he was either a human or a Digimon, nothing would have stopped them from helping him. But because he was a halfling in their eyes, they just idly stood by. Halflings weren't worthy of sympathy. They didn't deserve it.

The door to Cell 24 opened, releasing a rancid odor. While everyone around them coughed in a futile attempt to breathe, Kouichi threw Kouji inside. The returned prisoner landed facedown in a pile of sludge. When he lifted his head, his face was covered with blood and feces. It was truly a humbling experience.

Kouichi handed Kouji a mop and a bucket of an ammonia and alcohol mixture. "Start cleaning."

The ammonia fumes were strong and caused Kouji's eyes to water. He placed the bucket in one clean spot on the floor and began mopping up the stinking mess.

"Look at your great hero, crying in humiliation!" Kouichi taunted as tears revealed dirtied skin underneath the red and brown. Young children clung to their parents as Kouji continued cleaning, eventually scrubbing through to the gray stone floor. Finished, he presented the soiled mop and ammonia.

"Excellent," Kouichi commented. "Now wash up, halfling. You disgust me." The door slammed, locking Kouji in putrid darkness. The absence of light played tricks on his eyes while the silence caused his ears to ring. He hunted around until he finally found candles and the matches; his lanterns had made the exodus to the Mt. Fuji Settlement. Lighting a candle, he was able to see that everything around him was exactly the same. In the "bathroom" facility rested the cakes of harsh soap, the one dirty towel, toilet paper, and the makeshift first aid kit. The tub still rested on the bricks, and the sink was still under the faucet.

An idea forming in his head, he removed the bathtub from its perch and brought it over to the faucet, turning the cold water on full blast. Using the sink, he took some separate water and began scrubbing the filth off his face, body, and armor. He could not afford to let a drop of it land in the tub. Completed, he dropped the candle to the floor and climbed into the tub, hoping his plan would work. The alcohol mixed with the ammonia ignited, burning every last bit of feces and blood inside. He took a deep breath and submerged in the water as the air was turned off, cutting off the fuel. A huge flash of orange-red filled the gray cell as the water heated and boiled, burning his body.

Darkness soon replaced the fire, signaling to him that it was safe to emerge. The air conditioning kicked in, filling the vacuum with fresh cold air. He took a deep breath, choking on smoke and heat. But as oxygen made his way to his lungs, he realized one glorious thing:

For once in all the years of its existence, Cell 24 was warm.

If he could accomplish that, he _knew _that he could defeat Kouichi. He just had to figure out where to start.

It was Day Two of what the small unified group of Chosen Children and Resistance fighters knew would be the final battle. Only Takamoto hadn't come with them, remaining in Hong Kong to lead the forces there. But replacing him was a large team of united forces from Shinjuku, Jyuuban, Yokohama, and Shibuya. The leader of the original Mt. Fuji Resistance fighters, Kae Watanabe, had promised Kage a team of fighters from her own team in Odaiba to join them in battle.

Just as they had three years prior, they gathered in the mess hall, devising a plan of attack. Kage sat further away, trying to complete his project with Hikari's digivice while Daisuke, Ken, and Iori looked over Sakiko, Kotemon, and Koemon's plans of Cellblock 18. The latter three were currently informing the aspiring architect Junpei of the plans of the ramps leading from the ground level to Cellblock 18. Hikari organized strategies with Takato, Ruki, and Jenrya via a teleconference connecting Kage's miniature supercomputer with the large Hypnos mainframe in the Metropolitan Building. Takeru, Taiyou, Takuya, Miyako, Tomoki, Izumi, and Himi recharged weapons while the Digimon prepared themselves for battle through training and meditation.

"Hmm," Jenrya commented after hearing Hikari's dilemma. "That _is_ a problem. Have you tried contacting Koushiro about it?"

She nodded. "He couldn't think of anything, and Ken's still trying to figure out a way around it."

"You have to get those slaves free," he reminded her. "It doesn't matter what they did—they can't be involved in this coming fight."

"Takato!" an adult voice called.

"Mr. Yamaki!" the Tamers' unofficial leader cried, obviously startled. A blonde man in a black business suit appeared in the camera's range. An older man with graying hair and glasses soon appeared with him. "Lee, it's your dad!"

"Hold on a second," Jenrya requested, allowing Ruki to sit in the chair and sort out other details with Hikari about the upcoming confrontation. "Dad, what is it?"

"Jianliang," Jiang-yu Lee addressed, using the Chinese pronunciation of his son's name, "we may know a way you can find a solution to this problem."

"You do?" Jenrya asked, hope evident in his silver eyes.

"But, Mr. Lee, Mr. Yamaki, how?" Takato asked.

"Follow us," Yamaki requested.

"You too, Ruki," Jiang-yu added.

"We'll be back," Ruki informed Hikari.

Hikari turned around to face the others. "Ruki said they'd be back. Jenrya's father may have found something."

"That's good news," Miyako commented.

Hikari nodded her agreement. "Kage, how's my digivice coming along?"

"Better than expected," he replied. "But it won't be completely ready till tomorrow."

"Is there anything you can do to speed it up?" Takuya questioned. "Kouichi could do anything during that time. Kouji's running out of time." It was amazing how he still cared about the welfare of someone he could barely remember. But after Hikari thought about it for a moment, she realized it really wasn't. Emotions were always more powerful than memories.

"Sorry, Takuya, but this the best I can do. These digivices may have similar functions, but their composition is completely different. One wrong move and I could permanently damage this thing, making Hikari and her partner useless in battle."

Hikari momentarily stepped away from the computer to speak with Izumi. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I'd just like to know how Kouji is."

"We're working on it, don't worry," she assured. "How about you help Ruki and me go over our strategy when she gets back? We could really use your input." Reluctantly, she agreed and placed down the gun she was fine-tuning. There was no point in repairing weapons if they would be useless in battle.

-------  
Even after three years had passed, the work shifts were still the same. Though it was mid-October, the sun beat down on Kouji in a blazing fury, and with his armor, it was unbearable.

A thousand eyes were on him as he was forced to pick up discarded Imperial weapons and mines. No one knew what to make of him. They knew that the Kaiser had to fear his power to some extent, or there would have been no meaning to the relentless search. But if this boy _did_ have so much power, why didn't he use it? And more importantly, why wasn't the war over yet?

It was noon already, and the slaves still had about six hours to go. Well, all of them but Kouji. After his little display of pyrotechnics the day before, he had been condemned to twenty-four hours of labor. Kouichi had laughed at the pun behind it—twenty-four hours for the prisoner in Cell 24. Worse, there was nothing scheduled for him the next day, meaning that Kouichi had a surprise torture in mind.

He kept working at an even pace: not so fast as to overexert himself, yet not too slowly so as to be accused of "wasting time." It was incredible at how easily he'd reverted to the slave he'd once been—even his body adjusted with his mind. He kept his mind off his sabers, knowing Kouichi could use that thought-link to find them, and never drew his attention to his defuser when he needed to pull it out. Everything was automatic. His body functioned, if not at its optimum peak, under starvation; and though his strength was diminishing, he estimated he was strong enough to fight if he had to.

The sun glittered off the windows of the building in front of him. Momentarily, he shielded his eyes to avoid the blinding effects. He was lucky he was alone; had he been guarded, he would have been shot or beaten immediately. There was something about Hikarigaoka that seemed to make Kouichi edgy.

He walked on, avoiding a street between two apartment buildings that the Imperial Guard had stationed at. As he kept walking, he took a brief glance at the sky. The sun was high in the blue air, nowhere near any clouds. It was going to be a long day. And he had a feeling the next would be no different.

-------  
Takato Matsuda, Jenrya Lee, and Ruki Makino followed Hypnos superior Mitsuo Yamaki and Jenrya's father Jiang-yu into the "war room" of the Metropolitan Building. Jiang-yu's fellow "Wild Bunch" teammates were all typing on various computers, save for Goro "Shibumi" Mizuno, who was currently running an errand. Above, in elevated chairs, were system operators Megumi Onodera and Reika Ootori-Yamaki, who were running a virtual simulation of the Digimon Kaiser's base. Takato and the difficult-to-impress Ruki stared around in fascination. In the five years the Tamers had worked alongside Hypnos and the Wild Bunch, Jenrya had been the only Tamer to see—much less _visit_—this room.

"It was pretty amazing when I first saw it too," Jenrya admitted, seeing his friends' shocked gaping.

"Amazing?" Takato repeated. "Lee, this is incredible!"

"Takato, we've been friends for five years. You can call me Jenrya, you know."

"Ruki calls you 'Lee.'"

"Well, Ruki's Ruki."

"Jenrya, this is no time to be fooling around," Yamaki reprimanded. "I doubt any of us need to remind you three of the dangers those on the other side will face."

The three fifteen-year-olds looked down at the floor in shame. This was the first time since the days the Tamers and Hypnos had been enemies that they'd been reprimanded like this.

The black-clad Alice McCoy stepped forward, her pale blue eyes seeming to pierce through the three Tamers she had once helped. Her platinum blond hair was no longer in pigtails, but in a wild bun atop her head. Her vintage blouse and skirt were long gone, replaced by a black Renaissance-styled dress and boots reminiscent of Beelzebumon's—minus the blades.

"So, Jen, it's been a long time," she commented.

"Alice!" Jenrya recognized, forgetting his humility and hugging her. "I agree. Three years _is_ too long."

"Is there something we missed?" Takato asked.

"Sorry," Jenrya apologized. "Alice and I have been dating via instant messenger since after that mission with Hikari. This is the first time in three years that we've seen each other face-to-face."

"My grandfather wasn't able to stay in Shinjuku during all those years due to his classes," Alice explained.

"And it was too much for an old man like me to figure out how to teach my classes through a teleconference," added Professor Rob "Dolphin" McCoy. "Hello, Jenrya, Jiang-yu, as well as you, Takato, Ruki. Nice to see the Primary Colors again." He called them that because of the colors of their original D-arcs: red for Takato, green for Jenrya, and blue for Ruki. When the three colors combined, they would create white light; and so when the three Tamers combined their strength, great things were also accomplished.

"Hello, Prof. McCoy," the three "Primary Colors" greeted in unison.

"All right, that's just about everyone," observed the Wild Bunch member known only as Babel.

"Shibumi's still not here yet," commented his co-conspirator, Daisy. "I hope nothing happened."

"I knew we shouldn't have let him drive to the airport," Prof. Rai "Curly" Aishuwarya decided. "Not after his last accident landed him in a coma."

"Don't worry," Jiang-yu assured, "he'll be fine. Besides, if Ryo doubts Shibumi's driving abilities, he can take the wheel. He _did _get his license last year, after all."

Almost as if on cue, nineteen-year-old Ryo Akiyama raced up the stairs into the war room, followed by a winded Shibumi.

"I think I'm getting old," the aging man decided.

"Well, Ryo _does_ play soccer at Fukuoka University, so you wouldn't have a chance," Ruki joked.

"And how would _you_ know what goes on in Kyushu?" Ryo questioned with mock suspicion. He bent down and kissed her on the cheek before doing the same to Alice and shaking Takato's and Jenrya's hands. "Sorry we're so late. We hit every traffic light between here and the airport."

"He isn't kidding," Shibumi added. "You should have seen how far the traffic was backed up."

"Now that you're all here, we can begin," Yamaki decided. "Reika, Megumi."

"Connecting simulations to the monitors now," Reika informed.

"Monitors online," Megumi added.

The monitors in the dark room all simultaneously turned on, creating the image of the interior of the Kaiser's base.

"This image was created from all the information Sakiko and Ken gave us," Alice explained, "as well as the information Hikari, Jenrya, and I managed to gather on our last mission."

"She said they were all working on makeshift blueprints," Ruki remembered.

"So where is this supposed to be?" Ryo asked.

"This is just Cellblock 18, one of the sixty cellblocks inside," Alice answered.

"Sixty?" Jenrya exclaimed. Alice nodded.

"According to Sakiko's information, there are no guards positioned on the cellblocks," Prof. McCoy continued. "Apparently, the Kaiser doesn't worry too much about his slaves' escaping."

"But he did have enough concern to locate the keypads that release them in his guards' barracks," Jiang-yu added. The monitors all changed to the guards' quarters, similar to the ones in a boot camp or military base. "The keypads are all located in the center of each barrack, equidistant from the front and back entrances. Each is electronically activated with a keycard. Ken stole one from a guard, but it did him no good once an electronic shield was put into use. One could hack through it, but none of us can figure out how it would be possible—not even Alice. Jianliang, Ryo, you're our other technical experts. Do you have any ideas?"

Jenrya and Ryo looked at each other, having come to the same conclusion.

"You can't, Dad," Jenrya replied. "It's impossible."

"What?" Takato asked.

"Lee, you're giving up on them?" Ruki questioned.

"No, he isn't, Ruki," Ryo explained. "Kouichi knows how Ken thinks—remember, they're connected through the Kaiser, so it's almost like they share the same mind. He knows that Ken would try hacking into the systems and destroy the codes."

"So he backs up his shield with a super-virus that will delete anything and everything on file," Jenrya added. "Therefore, there are only two ways to open the cells without destroying them: the master keycard, which Kouichi would never let anyone near…"

"Or by short-circuiting them," Ryo continued. "All someone has to do is reroute the electrical connection into the incorrect circuits. Everything would melt down."

"Ryo, Jenrya, I officially give you degrees in engineering," Prof. McCoy declared.

"It's so simple!" Curly cried. "And a team of elite hackers couldn't even think of it!"

"Shows how much education was wasted on us," Babel joked with a mock glare at Prof. McCoy, their old teacher.

"Someone has to inform the Chosen of this discovery," Shibumi realized.

"I'll do it, Mr. Mizuno," Ruki volunteered. "I was just talking to Hikari before, anyway."

"One problem," Daisy interrupted. "Before you all go off celebrating, answer me this: How exactly are they going to accomplish all this?"

"I don't know," Takato confessed.

"Still, it's too good an idea to throw out," Yamaki replied. "Let's expand on it a little more for now and then tell them." The others all nodded in agreement and set to work on solving the sticky problem.

--------  
Day Three, if anything, was worse than Day Two. Kouichi's surprise torture involved syrup of ipecac, used to induce vomiting. The agony began at three in the morning and had continued until well past six in the evening. After Kouji had backed up both the toilet and the drain in his cell, Kouichi had moved him to his own personal bathroom, where the younger twin continued vomiting for two hours. Kouichi had tried to force more ipecac syrup into him, but to no avail. In frustration, he pulled Kouji's ponytail with such force that the weakened young man smashed the back of his head onto the tile, succumbing to a concussion that momentarily caused him to black out. And now he sat in his corner of the cell, forcing himself to remain conscious. His vision faded in and out, and just about everything he did caused his head to hurt.

Meanwhile, in the Underground Railroad near Mt. Fuji, Kage Tenshi reattached the white-and-pink covering of a D-3 digivice and handed it to its owner.

"There," he informed her. "All finished."

Hikari took her digivice and pressed the bottom white button, flipping past her tracking signal to the communicator. Then she pressed the top black button to initiate it. "Kouji?" she asked.

The sound of someone calling his name snapped Kouji awake. It took several seconds to realize its source, but he pulled out his digivice to see a pink flower-shape on the screen.

"Kouji, are you there?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Hikari?" he recognized. "How did you contact me?"

"Thank Kage for that. But it's a long story."

"Kouji, are you okay?" another voice questioned.

"Don't worry, Izumi, I'm surviving."

"That's not what I asked."

"I'm not that bad; I just have a headache, and I'm not feeling so good right now." The scent of ammonia hit him, doubling his nausea. "It's just some cleaners." It wasn't a lie, not really, just a half-truth. The cleaners _were_ making him sick, but they weren't the cause of his actual problem.

Ki's voice then came on. "Kouji, this is Ken."

"I know," he interrupted.

"How long?" Ken questioned.

"Since August. You gave yourself away when you neutralized the Black Ring. Everything after just confirmed it."

"Kouji, do you have your defuser?" Hikari asked, trying to keep on topic.

"Yeah. Why?"

"We have no right to ask you this, but…" Iori trailed off as he tried to explain.

"We need you to free the other slaves," Takuya informed. "Your defuser can short-circuit the controls to the cells."

"Where are they?"

"In the guard barracks," Iori informed.

"But don't stick around if you're in danger," Daisuke warned. "We'll try and create a diversion to draw out all the guards."

"All right." He killed the connection just in time because Sakuyamon entered soon after, toting a candle.

"Enjoy that smell?" she mocked. "Ammonia cleaner—eye irritant, skin irritant, and surprisingly flammable when mixed with alcohol. They really should put a warning on it." She waved the candle in front of him. "Thanks to your little experiment, I know what will happen should I drop this." He didn't reply. "But I won't. We have other means to torture you." Still, he kept silent. "Get up."

When he didn't, she roughly pulled him up and placed him in the torture rack. There was no point in fighting the inevitable, so he just remained calm. Fiercely, she drove a fist into him, causing the breath to leave his lungs. Repeatedly, she hit him, sometimes striking him with her staff. But rather than be disheartened by the beatings, Kouji put them to his advantage. With each of her forceful blows, she pushed him into the gray stone, which gave easily like mud or clay. It had never happened when she was Renamon, but her power as Sakuyamon was revealing this weakness in the base. Instead of begging her to stop, he silently encouraged her, trying to find an opening in her attacks.

She aimed a punch at his head, but he turned away quickly, causing her fist to become lodged in the soft gray material of the wall. While she tried to pull it out, Kouji squeezed his right hand out of one of the shackles before reaching for a saber to cut his feet free. But just as he tried to do the same for his other hand, Sakuyamon freed her fist and used her staff to throw him across the cell. Kouji felt his shoulder dislocate as his hand ripped free of the cuff. Sakuyamon lunged at him with her staff, knocking his saber into the candle and toppling it. Within seconds, the ammonia-soaked floor ignited, and Kouji desperately opened the cell door, shouting as he ran through the corridor.

"Fire! Get in the showers! Keep away from the doors!"

Nobody questioned his orders after news of his test fire had spread. While he ran down the cellblock and then to the ramp, families horded into the shower, turning them onto their fullest blasts. A deadly firestorm blazed out, eventually doused by a network of sprinklers. Kouji wasn't aware of these events due to his mad dash to the guard barracks, but he knew that phase one of the revolution had just begun.

**Whatever looks like it might be from _The Matrix _isn't. The fire in Cell 24 came from the fire Sydney set in SL-27 in _The Pretender_. And yes, it is weird that Ruki and Hikari are working together. Amistad, Yuuki, and Ai are essential in the upcoming sequel, "Echoes of Angels Who Won't Return." And the ipecac syrup scene came from _The Pretender_ as well.**


	23. Oreta Tsubasa de, Part Three

_"I became aware that I would not fly again_  
_I know that broken wings do not fly."  
__Kouichi Kimura—"Oreta Tsubasa de"  
__(Translated by KarenSedai)_

With Broken Wings  
Chapter Sixteen: "Oreta Tsubasa de, Part Three"

Hikari and Kage looked out on the seemingly endless streets of Jiyuugaoka. It was eerily silent and devoid of any living beings, sans them and their part of the army. An early warning set in place by Toshiko Kawamaru had cleared citizens from the streets of Tokyo and its neighboring cities.

Takeru and Himi stood in between two familiar apartments in the district of Hikarigaoka. Thanks to the Crest of Kindness, they'd know that Kouji had been there, but had moved on before the residents moved back in. Takeru marveled at the irony: Ten years ago, on this very spot, the greatest war he'd ever know had begun; and now, the second greatest war he'd known was going to end here.

Miyako and Sakiko patiently waited as they stood in the shadow of the Fuji TV station near Odaiba. Though patience had never been one of Miyako's virtues, she had no desire to begin the battle this soon. And undoubtedly, the workers in the station were quickly trying to broadcast the small Resistance group on TV. An unexpected thrill combined with fear as Miyako looked at Kotemon and Koemon. She didn't have the heart to tell them that they would not be much help, but just looking at Sakiko with her brown hair seeming to be consumed by lavender flames made Miyako feel as though there was at least a slight chance of winning.

Iori stood beside the Perfect levels of the Three Great Angels in Shinjuku. Bokomon and Neemon stood nearby, determined not to abandon the two teams of Chosen Children in these dire circumstances. A cold wind blew, almost as an omen of what was to happen. He shivered a bit, but stood his ground. He had been ordered to run if things took a turn for the worst, but he didn't think he would. He shivered again with the realization of what was to come. At least, he hoped he wouldn't.

Daisuke and Taiyou stood ready in her hometown of Chiba. Momentarily, Daisuke wondered if Taiyou's desire for revenge would outweigh her sense of justice, just as it had on many occasions for Hikari over the past three years. But then he noted the determination on her face, and he knew that the fight would be focused against the true enemy and not her scapegoat.

Ken, Takuya, Junpei, Tomoki, and Izumi calmly awaited the signal to begin the battle. Their location was Kouji's home in Yokohama, and just as Archnemon said, Imperials were prowling about. Ken checked his digivice, observing a red blip that was the Crest of Kindness, not far from them. He then spoke clearly into a microphone attached to his ear:

"They're here."

Kage heard Ken's message and nodded. "BlackWarGreymon, fire the first warning shot."

"Gaia Force!"

When a red sun appeared in the skies over the Tokyo area, both the Resistance and the Imperial Guard ran to action.

"Spirit Evolution!"

"Vritramon!"

"Bolgmon!"

"Blizzarmon!"

"Shutumon!"

Meanwhile, inside the base, Kouji hid to avoid being spotted by the hordes of Imperial mercenaries and soldiers storming out. Danger was all around him, and his heart was beating wildly. Once the last guard exited, he slipped in and made his way to the keypad, his legs stiff from the sitting position he'd taken for several hours.

He removed the cover of the keypad and chose two wires to attach to his defuser. And just as simply as Ryo and Jenrya said it would be, he melted the circuitry, freeing a whole corridor of slaves.

"Hikari," he informed over his digivice, holding it in his right hand, "I started freeing the slaves. All the Imperials are gone."

"Good," she answered. "Keep your movements random so Kouichi can't predict them."

"I will."

"This isn't going to be easy," Kage commented, avoiding the first bullet that came at him. Hikari looked back at him.

"Nothing ever is."

Iori stared at the stampede of enemy forces coming toward them.

"Bokomon, is there anything in your book about a battle of this magnitude?" he asked.

"No."

"Then there soon will be."

Though his only weapon was a kendo sword, his techniques proved useful against the Digimon. His army was no small concern either as humans and Digimon alike fought against the charging Imperials. HolyAngemon, Angewomon, and Antiramon were an unstoppable combination in the face of almost certain failure. Keeping his mind off the infinite number of casualties that would be sustained, Iori contacted the others.

"Shinjuku here," he answered. "Stage One successful."

"All right," Daisuke replied. "Break away for rendezvous."

"Roger," he answered. "Everyone, Attack Plan: Delta-Roku!"

Antiramon removed one of his bladed arms form a demolished MechaNorimon and glanced at his two fellow former gods. They nodded their agreement and followed the retreating forms Iori, Neemon, and Bokomon.

"Take chase!" an Imperial commander ordered, and they soon followed.

Meanwhile, in Chiba, Daisuke and Taiyou were just about to call the Delta-Roku order when Taiyou spotted trouble.

"Daisuke!" she warned, pointing to an obviously pregnant woman standing outside a grocery store.

"What's going on here?" she demanded as the two teenagers came over to her.

"Ma'am, it's not safe here," Daisuke informed, taking her hand. "We're going to get you to safety."

"You're not taking me anywhere!" she argued, twisting his arm. "I know who you are! You're Resistance, and you're not succeeding in…" Her angry rant suddenly became screams of pain as she tightly gripped Daisuke's hand, breaking several fingers. She lost her grip on her shopping cart and sank to the ground, clutching both Daisuke's hand and her bulging abdomen.

"Oh, don't tell me this is what I think it is!" Daisuke begged. "Taiyou, lay out your jacket on the ground. Use mine to wrap the baby when it comes out."

"Holy crap!" Taiyou declared, followed by several profanities that no child under the age of forty-two should hear, all preceded by the word "holy." It would be hard to believe for followers of any religion that _that_ many things could possibly be sacred. "Cyberdramon, everyone! Plan Delta-San!" She then turned to Daisuke. "Check in her groceries for anything that can help: plastic bags, rubber gloves, towels…"

"Gotcha," he agreed. "Ma'am, you're going to have to let go of my hand right now. We're going to try and deliver your baby."

"You'll just kill it!"

"Ma'am, listen," Taiyou reasoned in her kindest voice, "if we don't do something this minute, your baby might die without us. Daisuke, you'd better hurry. I have a feeling these aren't the first of her contractions." He began to run off to follow orders. "And Daisuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't look when it happens." He nodded, all too happy to comply. Taiyou, meanwhile, was trying to soothe the mother-to-be.

"Chiba here," he alerted as he searched for the items Taiyou had requested. "Change of plans. We've got a Delta-San here!"

"Daisuke, what happened?" Takeru asked.

"Too long a story, not enough time," he answered. "Basically, Taiyou and I can't join you guys yet. Just keep heading for Ken's location."

Himi then came on the line. "We won't be able to. We have a Delta-San as well."

He, MetalGarurumon, and Takeru looked at the overwhelming mass of soldiers and mercenaries charging toward them in a human and Digimon stampede. Every single one of them literally looked bloodthirsty. This was a battle that would not be won easily, yet Takeru laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" Himi questioned. "We're going up against inevitable odds, and we're going to die. There are now 'ifs' or 'maybes' about it. We are going to die."

"We Chosen have a disease—a very infectious disease that we share with the Tamers," Takeru explained. "We may have passed it to Ryo, who passed it to them, or they may have contracted it on their own. The Chosen here have it, so I'm surprised these Tamers don't have it."

"And what is this disease?" Himi asked.

Takeru turned to him, sporting a large smile. "A little thing called 'hope.'"

Himi stared at him in surprise. He expected courage or perhaps insanity, for that was how he would have described them. But out of all the virtues, he never would have anticipated hope.

"Himi-san!" MetalGarurumon alerted. "Takaishi-san!" Both humans looked up to see WarGreymon flying toward them.

The Ultimate landed in front of the charging army, freezing them in their tracks.

"The Kaiser has ordered me to take this opponent on myself," he informed.

_He's got to be crazy to send one Ultimate against another, _Takeru thought. _That fight would take way too long—Yamato and Taichi proved it seven years ago. Why would Kouichi ruin the perfect chance to kill us quickly? Unless… _He took in his breath sharply, almost in a gasp but not quite. "MetalGarurumon, be ready!"

"Why, Takaishi-san?"

"I think he's going to force a fusion."

-------  
After only forty-five to fifty minutes of labor, the woman in Chiba gave birth to a healthy child…and then another…and then another. Taiyou used shoelaces to cut off bleeding to the triplets' umbilical cords, and Daisuke provided his knife to cut the precious cords. The newborns were warmly wrapped in his soft, red fleece jacket, and placed in their mother's arms.

"Come on, Daisuke," Taiyou ordered, removing the plastic bags she'd used as gloves and discarding them on the ground. "Time to go."

"I think not," a female voice behind them argued. "Flower Cannon!"

The attack whizzed past Daisuke's ear, singing his shoulder a bit.

_Wonderful, _he thought sarcastically._ First that woman breaks my hand, and now Lilymon wants a rematch. This is just _not_ my day._ He held up his knife and turned to face his nemesis. "You see the dragon on here? That represents V-mon, who taught me everything I needed to know about friendship and especially courage. V-mon is empowering me through this. With him, I can take you out myself!" He suddenly charged Lilymon, desperately fighting with all the strength he had. "Taiyou, Cyberdramon! Get that woman and her babies to a hospital, and then head for the others!"

"No," Taiyou replied. "They'll be fine for now, and I'm sure that no matter who the victor is, the four will be taken care of. Hear me, Lilymon? If you win, you have to promise to get them to safety." The Perfect looked uncertain.

"There is no blood left on them," Cyberdramon assured. "My Tamer saw to it." Lilymon nodded, if not reluctantly, and resumed her battle with them.

"So, Taiyou, why did you decide to assist me?" Daisuke questioned.

"Your leadership was better than I've seen before, even from my own brother," she explained. "You would take on a powerful enemy alone, without asking for help. You surprised me, goggle head."

"Kouji would do the same," he informed.

"Yes, well…" Taiyou had a slightly sharper edge to her voice. "Let me fight one battle at a time."

"All right then," he agreed, pulling Taichi's goggles back on top of his head. Somehow, it felt just like old times.

Sakiko and Miyako, in the meantime, had almost reached the rendezvous point when a tall Digimon in gleaming white armor and a scarlet cape touched down in front of them.

"Great," Miyako muttered. "It _had_ to be Dukemon."

"There's no way we can win this battle," Sakiko determined. "Kotemon, Koemon, stand down."

There was an obvious satisfaction in Dukemon as he towered over the two humans and their army. He brought his saber down, ready to attack, when an arrow, a sword, and two axes struck his back, tearing his cape.

"Holy Arrow!"

"Excalibur!"

"Treasure Ax!"

A second round of attacks did no more than anger the already infuriated Ultimate. A red, hateful, burning glow surrounded him, and the remainder of his cape shredded away to reveal ten shining, iridescently white-feathered wings. The white armor became crimson, and a double-bladed sword appeared in his right hand while a single blade rested in his left. He was truly a sight to behold, regardless of his affiliation.

"He's reached the Crimson Mode," Miyako realized in awe and fear.

"The what?" Sakiko questioned.

"It was something Ryo told us about," she answered. "In the final battle against the D-Reaper—an enemy like none they'd previously faced—Takato and his partner Guilmon's matrix evolved form, Dukemon, merged with a Digimon called Grani, forming the Crimson Mode. But Grani doesn't exist in this world, so it's shouldn't be possible."

"The Kaiser," Sakiko determined, receiving a nod from Miyako.

Dukemon turned to the three former Great Angels, his swords outstretched.

"Quo Vadis!"

The two angels in the sky quickly flew out of the way to avoid the attack. Antiramon ran in for an attack, but was soon stopped cold.

"Invincible Sword!"

Antiramon hit the ground, hard, just stages away from unconsciousness. Koemon and Kotemon tightly gripped each other, afraid of how the events would turn out.

Meanwhile, Himi and Takeru were still desperately battling WarGreymon, trying to keep him from fusing with MetalGarurumon. But "trying," unfortunately, was the key word.

"Gaia Force!"

"Cocytus Breath!"

Another explosion formed from the collision of attacks. Himi covered his eyes to avoid the blinding glare while Takeru stared into it with cold fear.

"This will never work!" the Child of Hope finally declared.

"What do you mean?" Himi asked.

"Years ago, our leader Taichi and my brother Yamato got in a huge fight that involved their Digimon, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon. The fight ended in a draw only because Hikari interrupted it. Both Digimon were so drained that they returned to their Baby II levels. If MetalGarurumon can't hold out any longer, WarGreymon can force a fusion. I've seen Omegamon in battle before. He's unstoppable."

"Himi-san," MetalGarurumon addressed, "I won't fail you."

Himi looked back at the battle upon hearing his partner's voice. "I know you won't. But you're the last hope we have."

------  
Kouji defused the final keypad, releasing the slaves on Cellblock 1. Though his movements had been random, he'd decided to save the lowest level for last to make for an easy escape.

His arm still hung limply at his side. He'd tried popping it back into joint, but his thick armor didn't allow it. But in the end, it really didn't matter; his ligaments were torn and pained him just as much. His tendons were close to sharing the same fate as his ligaments, and the blood vessels in his muscles had ripped open.

He made his way out to follow the other slaves on their exodus to freedom, but before he knew what happened, a sharp object was stabbed into his right side, puncturing his kidney. He pulled away quickly to see Sakuyamon behind him, the bottom of her staff dripping with his blood. Though his vision swam due to his head injury, he could see the smile she wore. Toxins leaked into his bloodstream, also affecting his thought processes and making him lightheaded. But despite all this, he turned and ran.

"Rice Cord!"

The fox spirits flew all around him, trying to keep him from the exit. Each time he touched one, he felt the pain of its element: fire, lightning, air, or water. All around him, walls crumbled as the base collapsed. He only just escaped before the fortress disintegrated into dust.

No, wait… It gave off too evil an aura to be dust.

Carefully, not wanting to touch it, Kouji made his way to the pile of dust to see that was what it was not. The base had been constructed of no more than black DigiCode and gray sand.

Sand…

"'You pressure it, and it will become something you don't expect,'" he quoted, remembering Kouichi's words from those three long years ago.

"Precisely," answered a voice from behind him.

And as he looked into the eyes of the devil, the eyes that were exactly like his, Kouji wondered how it could possibly have come down to this.

-------  
"Quo Vadis!"

"Flame Storm!"

Vritramon's attack completely took Dukemon off-guard, making up for the last battle three days before. The winged Ultimate turned his attention to the newcomers, all but forgetting his previous nemeses.

"Double Thunder!"

"Avalanche Step!"

Bolgmon and Blizzarmon's double-team attack was no match for Dukemon in his Crimson Mode. He swatted the attacks aside easily, as one would a pesky fly.

"Corona Blaster!"

Vritramon's fiery bullets began pelting Dukemon's red armor, annoying him even more. He turned his attention to the new nuisance on his hands and held out both of his shining swords to attack.

"Wind of Pain!" Shutumon interrupted, blasting at him from behind. Sparkling feathers from his wings flew forward, catching the twilight sun that slowly disappeared in the west. But rather than seek revenge on Shutumon for that clever move, Dukemon looked into the distance, observing an adversary speeding from the horizon.

"Garuru Cannon!"

The powerful blast only barely missed Dukemon, but both he and the Legendary Warriors could feel the slipstream from it.

"Omegamon!" Miyako exclaimed. He carefully placed Himi and Takeru on the ground before flying in the sky to join the fray.

"Looks like the rest of us are all here," Ken observed. "Only Kouji, Daisuke, and Taiyou are missing."

"Takeru, how did MetalGarurumon fuse without WarGreymon's persona interfering?" Hikari asked.

"It was only because I remembered how Ryo said he got Cyberdramon: by Monodramon forcing a jogress on Millenniumon."

"So MetalGarurumon took a leap of faith and forced a fusion with WarGreymon," Himi finished. "I just have to make sure that none of Kouichi's power slips into him."

"Invincible Sword!" Dukemon attacked.

"Grey Sword!" Omegamon responded. Both swords struck each other over and over in a never-ending battle of wits, strength, and agility.

"Quo Vadis!"

"Garuru Cannon!"

"At this rate, the battle will never end," Hikari realized.

"I'm afraid to say it, but Omegamon may have to score a killing blow," Ken commented. "Iori, you should…"

"No," he replied calmly and evenly. "I'm a Chosen Child too. I began this war with all of you, and I'm going to end it just the same. Besides, I'm leader in Daisuke's place." His tone soon changed, sounding like he was swallowing tears in order to strengthen it. "My father always told me to keep to my responsibilities."

"I hope you don't regret this," Ken answered, reminded that he could not give orders to the mission commander.

_I hope so too, _Iori thought, watching the battle once more.

-------  
Daisuke stabbed his knife into Lilymon once more, leaving blood behind on her chest. She clutched it painfully, and glared at him with cold, unforgiving eyes. Her anger appeared to be her power, and it could withstand the worst he gave her.

"Erase Claw!"

But Lilymon was no longer able to hold off Cyberdramon's attack. Both a black and an iridescent DigiCode ring appeared for Taiyou to scan. Daisuke merely stood holding his blade, thankful that Iori didn't have to see the course of their actions.

"Daisuke," Taiyou addressed, trying to catch her breath, "head off to help your friends. Cyberdramon and I will get this woman and her babies to the hospital."

"Are you sure?"

"Just go!"

Without a second thought, Daisuke sprinted for the others' location, activating his headset. Halfway through, his knee gave out, but he kept his pace through a limp.

"Kage! It's Motomiya! I'm heading for rendezvous, but I blew my knee out trying to run."

"All right, Daisuke," Kage replied. He then turned to his partner. "BlackWarGreymon, head for his location. Don't stop for anyone or anything." The Ultimate nodded and flew off to pick up Daisuke, leaving the others to watch Omegamon and Dukemon's restless battle.

-------  
"Amazing, isn't it?" Kouichi asked. "That sand comes from the Dark Ocean—part of the World of Darkness, a place where just about anything can be created: Dark Towers, Black Rings, the Black Digivice, or even this base."

"Is this what you meant by sand being changed?" Kouji questioned, ignoring all but his mirror image in front of him. Kouichi merely smiled.

"Incredible, the changes that have taken place within you, as well as on the outside," he commented. "When we first met, you showed no ingenuity, no originality in your fighting. And now?" He laughed momentarily. "I must admit, halfling, that fire was impressive, even for you. I would not have expected you to try something so suicidal. But that is the style of the Chosen, is it not? All or nothing? Since when have you considered yourself one of them?" Kouji stood his ground, not answering. "You may be strong, but you are not _that_ strong. Sakuyamon, leave us."

"As you command," she answered, dropping her staff into the sand.

Kouichi turned his attention back to Kouji. "Do you recognize where we are? This beach? These sandy shores?" Kouji didn't reply; he didn't have to. He knew every grain of sand on that beach, every wave that washed up on shore. There was no way he could ever forget. He had in essence died there, only to be reborn a month later in the stinking hellhole of Cell 24. "Fitting, isn't it, that we should be here now, standing in our own footprints from the past? Things have truly come full circle: It all began here, and it will end here."

"Yes, it will, but not for me," Kouji replied, pulling out his other saber. He charged, but Kouichi blocked with Sakuyamon's staff.

"That's right," he commented sneeringly. "You _were_ always good at saber techniques." He pushed Kouji's arm back with the staff before using it to strike him at his stab wound. Kouji fell to the gray sand in indescribable pain while Kouichi stared at him.

"Little known fact about pure Digimon," he informed. "In this world, human blood poisons them. From the sickened look on Sakuyamon's face, I'd say halfling blood has the same effect."

Anger burned at Kouji, violently begging him to let it spill over in uncontrolled rage. But he remembered Iori's training and so suppressed those emotions into as serene a complex as he could manage. Too many times as an eleven-year-old child he'd let his anger get the best of him, whether it was a juvenile argument with Takuya or the battle against Karatenmon. Rather than make another mistake like those, he calmly stood up and held his weapon in an advancing stance. As he held it, Kouichi stared at him. Momentarily, there was the eleven-year-old child dressed in a yellow T-shirt, a dark blue jacket, and gray athletic pants, his hair tied back and covered by a blue bandana, his soul that of the proverbial lone wolf. The image faded to the slightly taller twelve-year-old dressed in Osamu's attire, both the bandana and the need to be alienated gone. And finally, he saw the Kouji of the present: dressed in the armor shells of his Spirits of Light, his hair still tied back (although several wisps had flown in front of his face, a problem he always had when he chose to abandon the bandana when he was younger), ready to fight for a cause he believed in—no matter what the consequences would be. The years did not show on his set face; save for a scraped forehead and a thin white scar underneath his right eye, he looked exactly the same.

They charged each other once again, saber against staff. Beside them the sun was sinking below the horizon. Whoever could hold out past nightfall would win. Kouji felt the rings of the staff beat against his back as the elaborately designed ornament bit into his body. He fell into the poisonous gray sands again while Kouichi fired at him with the laser pistol. Luckily for him, his metal armor managed to block the burning laser, so the only harm done was an uncomfortable heat coursing through it. But that was enough to stimulate the adrenaline in him. As long as that kept pumping through him, he didn't need the blood that dripped to the ground.

Over and over, the saber and staff struck each other in a never-ending dance of savage destruction—where had he last thought that? At the riverbank when he fought Ken. It was amazing that he could recall such a dance when he hadn't been able to form verbal thought. But for him, emotions were always more powerful than words.

Kouichi aimed a blow at his neck, but thanks to Iori's training, Kouji was ready. Swiftly, he knocked the laser from Kouichi's hand and struck a hard blow to his left arm. While his opponent clutched his wound, Kouji deftly grabbed the pistol and cocked it once. Iori once told him never to take an opponent's weapon, but this weapon _had _been his to begin with in the first place. _Kouichi _had been the fool to take it. Kouji stared hard into his adversary's eyes, slowly pressing the trigger.

"I'm sorry, Kouichi," he whispered.

The beam struck Kouichi's face, right between his eyes. It was so similar to the way Ophanimon's symbol had hit him all those years ago. But his mind wandered to another past, one that hadn't actually existed.

"_Niisan… Ototo-chan_…"

He collapsed to the white, moonlit sands, and a bluish-white light escaped his digivice. Immediately, the armor disappeared from Kouji's body, yielding to the dark blue tank top and pants he'd worn to the Digital World. Sadly, his shoes from that day now rested at the bottom of some ocean in the Digital World. It was too bad; he really liked those sneakers. They had been the ones Kage had given them, and they had still fit after three years of his growing.

He carefully made his way over and checked Kouichi's pulse and breathing. Both were normal. Finding that, he half-limped to the water, feeling as though he had to drag his entire right side. His stab wound was burning, and the action of moving his right arm or leg felt like it tore the skin and muscle from his side. But he had the Dark Ocean sand on him, and he knew it was more important to get _that _off than it was to get medical attention for both him and Kouichi.

Several rinsings in the ocean waters later, all of the sand had washed off his body. Finished, he knelt down, holding the laser he'd used to subdue Kouichi. As he looked at it, he began thinking aloud—an old habit of his from the Digital World.

"_Niisan_?" he repeated. "What did he mean by that? _He's _the oldest." The terrified look of realization on Kouichi's face haunted his mind. "What was it? What was it that scared him so much?" Unable to discover the answer, he held his defuser, touching the Black Ring. After all that time, he'd completely forgotten about it, like the ring was a part of him. It was unbroken, and would remain that way unless Kouichi was dead.

_No, _Kouji silently protested. _I won't kill my brother._ The word "brother" had such a foreign sound to him. How long had it been since he'd last uttered that word? How long had it been since he'd last used it to describe a young man who was once again his brother?

And now he removed the Crest from within the layers of bandages on his hand. It had been Kouri's good luck charm for him, and though he didn't believe in luck, he knew this tiny glass sliver was helping him in more ways than Kouri thought it would.

A hard weight struck the back of his head, exactly in the tender spot that had connected with the tile earlier that evening. Kouji never felt himself fall, but he could certainly feel the cold saltwater as he fell into it.

A blade ripped open his stab wound, causing blood to spill into the water around him. He knew that he could not remain in that position or face certain death. Quickly, he pulled himself up and coughed up the water and blood that had found his lungs.

"Halfling, get up!" ordered a cruel voice that sounded so much like both Ken and Kouichi at the same time. Confused, Kouji turned to see Kouichi—and yet it wasn't Kouichi. In the pale moonlight, he could see that his twin's irises had been completely swallowed up by black, and a smile crueler than any before played on his lips.

"Kaiser?" Kouji realized.

"It's about time we met face-to-face," he replied.

"But how?"

"Your pathetic brother and I fused, but like with Ken, I broke away once danger was near. This body may not be very comfortable, but it will do for now."

"For now?"

"Is that all you can do: ask questions? You are truly more pathetic than Kouichi led me to believe. But I suppose even _you_ can understand—understand how it feels for there to be two of you. You have one consciousness to maintain, and yet you feel responsibility for another. It makes Kouichi crazy. He hates it, and he hates you for existing symbiotically with him." He struck Kouji with the whip, seeing to it that the weight hit his broken left shoulder. "And I hate it too—because it makes everything so difficult to conduct!" He then grabbed Kouji's laser and cocked it three times. An insane feeling of accomplishment flooded him as he pressed the indent that was the trigger. Finally, the nuisance twin brother would be gone! A red laser shot out, heading directly for Kouji, who refused to move. At last, the only person who had stood in his way would be dead.

Kouji quickly brought up his digivice, absorbing the fatal red light. The symbol of the Spirit of Light appeared on the screen, and a white-blue ray stuck the Kaiser.

"What?" he exclaimed. "How?"

"A laser is no more than a beam of light," Kouji explained simply, his voice tired. He clenched his hand into a fist and shoved it into his enemy's left eye. The Crest of Kindness broke with the impact, and his body screamed in agony at the movement, but he didn't care. This _would _be over and by _his _rules. As tiny magenta glass shards fell to the sand, the Kaiser stared back at Kouji.

"Glass," he commented in surprise. "No more than pressured sand. It shatters, and yet you didn't."

Several bands of black DigiCode appeared around his body, circling him like the globes of data the Chosen scanned to utilize their B-Spirits. A feeling of nostalgia swept through Kouji as he held out his D-scanner.

"Dark assassin, slave like me, come back to the light that gave you your name—no." It was the first time he had chanted something as he scanned, and he wanted to speak his heart. This could not be the same thing Kouji the Digimon would have said three or four years ago. It needed to be from Kouji the human, the brother. It needed to be from his own heart as well as from the others', a plea, a prayer. "My brother, Kouichi, come back to your family, your friends, and everyone else who cared about you. For the sake of the worlds, and in memory of Osamu Ichijouji, let this light guide you back to us. DigiCode Scan!"

First one band of data entered the device, and then another, and another. It was all happening even faster than when he and Takuya had scanned Lucemon's data as Susanoomon. Before he could stop it, all of the Kaiser's data was being scanned, sending an unwanted cold pain through him. The Kaiser was penetrating his mind, and trying to kill his psyche. He knew this would come, even though he'd never experienced it before. It was as if someone had told him it would come. He wanted to let go of the device, to stop the Darkness from entering him, but a voice he'd never heard before urged him not to:

_"Hold on just a little longer. It's almost done."_

The voice was almost exactly like Ken's, only softer and more compassionate than passionate. Though Kouji didn't know the voice that spoke to him, he felt that he should.

The Darkness showed him a desert in the Digital World, where the Digimon Kaiser was tied to a pole against a stormy black sky. This Kaiser was dressed in Ken's old garb, and appeared to be half-dead. Digimon began verbally condemning him, though Kouji doubted the Kaiser could hear their words. After the charges against him had been named, the Kaiser felt the sharp pain of an Elecmon's attack, followed by a Unimon, and then a Gotsumon. For a split-second, the attacks paused, allowing an unfamiliar brown-haired boy to leave, and several new people to join the execution. And as each attacked, Kouji was able to recognize each one's relationship to the Kaiser.

A gold beam of light, like the first rays of dawn, shot out of a symbol on the screen of the blue-and-white digivice of Daisuke Motomiya, who had brought about Ken's defeat. It struck his face—maybe hitting his nose, but no blood or breakage showed. The blow, however, was strong enough to snap his head back.

After than came a purple one, from the pink-and-purple digivice of Izumi Orimoto, who had once been Kouichi's girlfriend. Hers hit his left cheek, throwing the right side of his face into the pole.

A green one soon followed from the white-and-green digivice of Takeru Takaishi, the person who had confronted Ken and defeated him in hand-to-hand combat. And just as much of the gentleman he once was, he finished Izumi's job by striking the right side.

The next was yellow, from the yellow-and-white digivice of a young Iori Hida, who had not been able to forgive Ken's sins and shared a mutual connection through a man named Yukio Oikawa. Though he was a normally passive youth, his sense of justice discarded his nonviolent lifestyle in his blow: to the chin, snapping the Kaiser's head back even more roughly than Daisuke's did.

An orange streak, like flames, escaped the red-and-black digivice of Takuya Kanbara, who had been the first to identify Kouichi in the Real World. This one struck from the top, throwing the left side of his face into his broken body.

And finally, Kouji saw himself at the age of eleven, holding the laser pistol Kage had given him. His hands shook as he aimed—there was no way he could shoot his brother! But behind him was the Kaiser's older brother, a boy identical to the tyrant, dressed in green and blue. Osamu understood Kouji's fears, but he also understood the justice that had to be delivered. He'd deliver it himself if necessary, but he didn't have the ability to hold physical objects.

"Fire!" he ordered with tears streaming down his face. Kouji pressed the trigger and sent a lethal red beam between the Kaiser's eyes. The goggles were blown off, and the Kaiser's data exploded, followed by the data of the Digimon executioners.

An invisible opponent struck them all, claiming its dues. Daisuke's right knee suddenly shattered, forcing him to fall to the sand. In a way, it complemented the leadership he'd lost to a team that broke apart: He was a ruler now falling to his knees.

The unseen chains of friendship that Takeru held suddenly disintegrated as the quality that attracted so many friends grew hard and cold. His innocence vanished and was replaced by jealousy and hatred toward one person: the singer that Hikari had become obsessed with.

Iori's sanity seemed to entirely leave him, causing his hands to peel and bleed. He placed his blood-covered palms against his head, trying to fight the insanity that was beginning to claim him.

Takuya and Izumi shared fates similar to one another. Their joy of life faded into bleak nothingness. All they could feel was the sharp sorrow of losing one of their closest friends. Takuya then turned, all memories of his friend fading into nothingness while Izumi fell into a coma nearby.

Wounds opened in Kouji's wrists, sending blood onto the sand below. His entire body became riddled with injuries as he fell to the ground, feeling Death coming for him once again. Osamu merely watched them all in agony, infuriated that he was unable to help them. These were the sacrifices all seven were forced to make, but they were by no means welcomed.

The image finally passed, and the last of the data entered the digivice. Kouji felt all the strength in him fade as all feeling in his legs was lost, and he collapsed to his knees on the sand.

"I…killed him?" he whispered, barely able to believe what he'd just experienced.

"_We _killed him," the voice corrected. From the voice, a translucent figure appeared—Osamu. Slowly, the bluish glow around him faded, allowing him to take on a more solid form. "It was something we all had to do. It was something I had to do for Ken, even though I was forced to sacrifice both myself and Wormmon to do it. Your only sacrifice was yourself, but I couldn't let the Kaiser kill you, so I let that image pass through. I had to show you that you weren't alone in doing this, that others were taking the sacrifice as well. The ones you saw were only the ones with a connection to Ken and Kouichi, but all of the Chosen and Tamers had made a sacrifice, whether it seemed important to them or not. But it was most taxing on you because you gave everything you had. It was just as you said three years ago: If Kouichi killed you, he would be killing himself. If not for the others, you would have died, and it would have been the only way to save him."

"The…the Kaiser…" Kouji began.

"His soul is now imprisoned in your digivice," Osamu explained. "He will remain there with the light as his prison, preventing him from escaping—just as when Kouichi entrusted you with the Spirits of Darkness. But just because he's gone, don't think it's over. It's only just the beginning." The Black Ring suddenly shattered and fell off Kouji's neck. He stared at the shards of black metal in shock. "What's wrong?"

"Kouichi said that as long as he was alive, I would have the ring…"

"No," Osamu corrected. "He said as long as he _existed_, it would remain, and he said that as the Kaiser. The Kaiser no longer exists, so you are free from the ring's curse. But you will have other curses to deal with, though not all of them will be Black Rings. Do you understand?"

Kouji lowered his head as though in shame. "All over the world, I'm known. I can't escape their knowing. My life is in danger, and so are the lives of my friends." Kouichi could be heard breathing and shivering in the night, but that offered no relief to Kouji, who stared at the screen of his digivice, knowing what creature now lived inside. The screen caught his reflection—the reflection of a human. A Digimon hadn't won this war, but a human had. An inexplicable thrill swept through him—different from the post-battle adrenaline rush he normally got. This time, he'd won the battle as a human and not a Digimon, as a brother and not a warrior, just as the way he'd seemed to die before on that beach. It was a feeling unlike any he'd ever experienced before.

"I think that when that road comes up ahead, you'll be able to take it," Osamu decided, looking at him. A black raven soared around him and let a single feather fall to his feet. Then a bright and shining light filled him, seeming to burn him from the inside out. Kouji stared at him the whole time, as though saying the goodbye Ken never got to say. But he couldn't help but think of the myths surrounding his "death" Sakiko had told him about. In one of those myths, a glance upon his body would cause a person to be burned by a vengeful light from the inside out. Osamu had been watching him all this time without ever once burning. But the brilliance that seemed to be doing just that to him now was far from vengeful. Nor was it hateful. It was the promise of a brother who had to make amends for his sins by adopting two new younger brothers. The light faded, leaving no more than two injured human boys on a cold beach. Kouji shivered under the blue moon above him, resisting the cold.

The last thing he was aware of was just how warm the sand was as the left side of his face pressed into it.

-------  
"Garuru Cannon!"

The arm that was MetalGarurumon's head fired a single shot, hitting Dukemon square in the chest. Feathers flew away from his wings as he fell toward the ground. A dark ring of DigiCode appeared from his body and dissipated into the sky.

"What?" Himi questioned as the great Ultimate devolved into an innocent Guilmon, only to fall on his bottom.

"Ow!" the Child declared with a giggle.

"_That's _the Digimon you were just fighting?" Daisuke questioned.

"Hard to believe…" Sakiko commented.

Omegamon descended to the ground and defused to two Child Digimon: Agumon and Gabumon. Exhausted from the battle, both collapsed to the asphalt in a barely conscious state. Himi ran over just the same as any Chosen or Tamer would, and tried to hold up Gabumon.

"Himi-san…" Gabumon began.

"Don't try to talk," Himi instructed.

"But, Himi-san, it's Agumon," he insisted. "I could feel it… The Kaiser's control on him is gone."

"What?"

"He's right," Hikari agreed. "There _is _a sudden shift in the powers of Light and Darkness. I think it's finally over."

Guilmon waddled over and helped Agumon walk to Himi. Both looked at him with longing eyes.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We would like you to be our Tamer," Agumon stated.

"Please?" Guilmon begged. "Could you, please?"

"But, I can't…"

"Yutaka _onii-chan_," Tomoki interrupted. "It's all right. You'll be able to do it."

Himi groaned. "Oh boy. I can't wait till we find Mom and Dad. This whole Tamer thing is going to be one long explanation."

"Well, we have a friend who's a Chosen with two partners," Takeru remembered. "I guess no rules are broken if a Tamer has three."

Agumon and Guilmon cheered while Gabumon smiled innocently. Himi, unable to resist their burst of infectious joy, nodded his approval.

"Now that we have everything all settled, we'd better find Kouji," Ken decided. He took out his D-3 and switched to tracking mode. His face became tense as he began pressing other buttons.

"What's wrong?" Shutumon questioned.

"I can't find the Crest of Kindness," he admitted. "I don't know where he is."

Familiar panic swept through Blizzarmon, Bolgmon, and Vritramon: the first of their recovered memories. The sense of dread they experienced at the rebirth of their digivices was no different from what they felt now with the death of the Crest.

"We have to find him," Vritramon insisted, his voice thick with apprehension.

"We'll help," Kage volunteered.

"No, you stay here," Daisuke replied. "No offense, but this is something that only Chosen can do. It's kind of personal. Besides, you still have jobs to do here."

"Yeah," Himi realized. "We'd better get our parents out of hiding."

"Someone let Kouji's parents in on everything," Miyako requested.

"I'll do it," Taiyou volunteered, riding in on Cyberdramon's back. Everyone looked at her uneasily. "Hey, I may not like the little halfling, but I'll do this much for him."

"We'd better trust her," Hikari decided. "I have a strange feeling we're running out of time."

Agreeing, the other Chosen quickly made a rush to find their missing friend. It took them two hours to scour the area, but they finally found two bodies lying on the beach sands. Upon seeing them, tear-blurred, black-and-white memories flooded from the human minds within Vritramon, Bolgmon, and Blizzarmon. The unbearable feelings that had tortured them for the five months they'd believed Kouji was dead were back in full force, drowning them in fear. But Shutumon reached the twins before the others could, and released a long overdue sigh of relief.

"They're both okay," she alerted, invoking whoops of delight from the others. "Kouichi's just got some minor burns and a black eye. I haven't checked Kouji yet, but I can hear him breathing." The first thing she saw when she walked over to him was a large splotch of blood on the back of his shirt. Hikari gasped in shock, remembering her old nightmare of seeing him drowning in blood. Shutumon quickly scooped him up in her arms, feeling his cold skin. "He's shivering. And his skin is so cold." Ken and Takeru began to remove their jackets, but she halted them. "No, so long as we get them to the hospital fast, they'll be okay."

"The fastest way is to fly," Vritramon determined, scooping up Kouichi. "Let's go."

The two Digimon flew into the evening sky, the other two following them on foot. It was exactly as it had been three years ago, only now they had two victims, and they were much older and more mature—just as they seemed to be in these B-Spirits. After them came five of the other six Chosen; only Ken remained.

A familiar presence lingered under the starry sky, causing the Ichijouji boy to stray from his friends. Though he could see no one about, he knew someone was there.

"_Arigatou gozaimasu_, Osamu _niisan_."

_Delta: Greek letter for "D"_

_Roku: Japanese number 6_

_San: Japanese number 3_

**Thanks to Nic/Ken's luver for constantly reading the raw versions of the chapters, Loner Fox and Red Outburst for staying hooked on DMF, and Brian from DMF for saying it was good.**** Thanks also to Kristen/Winter Night Phantom for putting up with my crap the whole time, and to Kelly for coming up with Alice's outfit in part two. ****The obvious music to play for the final battle is "Oreta Tsubasa de."**


	24. Ashita wa Motto

_"But if I'm all alone in this world,  
__And love disappears instead of tears,  
__I won't hang my head, I'll fly away  
__Tomorrow I'll be closer to that dream I held."  
__Sora Takenouchi—"Ashita wa Motto"  
__(Translated by Megchan)_

With Broken Wings  
Epilogue: "Ashita wa Motto"

In the past four years, Izumi found that she'd been in a hospital for one reason or another at least four times—to rescue a dying Kouichi, to keep watch over a sick Kouji, to recover from her coma, and for this reason. Her count didn't include the makeshift infirmaries and quarantine tents she and Kouji had spent plenty of time in over the years. And each of those times, she'd found that hospitals were very much like battlefields: There were risks that had to be taken, and lives were always on the line. Though she had fought many battles, this place was always something that terrified her.

Kouichi was diagnosed to be in fair condition, so his room was several floors above his brother's. His only injuries were bruises and minor laser burn, and he was expected to wake up soon. Kouji, on the other hand, was in bad shape. His condition was labeled "critical but stable," so he was forced to stay in the ICU. Surgery had been done on his left shoulder to pin a broken piece of his shoulder blade back on so his humerus would stay in place, but there was nothing that could be done about his torn ligaments and injured muscles and tendons. His stab wound continued to leak toxins into his bloodstream, so he was hurriedly connected to a dialysis machine. Moreover, he had a severe concussion from the blows to the back of his head. The only diagnosis he and his brother shared was hypothermia, as the cold night had taken its toll on the both of them.

Ken stood with the other Chosen outside Kouji's room, working out guard schedules for them.

"All right, Daisuke, you're okay with the first watch for Kouichi?" he checked.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Why not have Takeru guard Kouichi?" Takuya questioned. "I mean, no offense, but Daisuke's knee is still messed up. If anything happened, how could he run after an attacker or something?"

"I have to agree," Izumi added. "Takeru would be a better guard."

"I'm a liability," Takeru explained. "I might do something I'd regret if I guarded him."

"Like what?" Junpei asked.

"One time, I assaulted Ken in the middle of his base, for no reason," he answered. "I nearly strangled him. Imagine what I'd do to someone who couldn't fight back."

"And I'm no better," Hikari added. She did not mention how much Takeru hated Kouji, however, saving him the embarrassment.

"But Kouji's going to need the same amount of protection," Daisuke continued.

"I'll take care of that," Takuya volunteered. "I've been the closest thing he's had to a best friend for years."

"All right," Daisuke agreed. "But there's still more we have to do for the both of them. Neither of them is going to be out of bed for a long time. We need to find doctors that we can trust."

"Well, there's Dr. Matsumoto and Dr. Yamamoto," Izumi informed right off the bat. "But Dr. Matsumoto is a psychiatrist."

"At least one of the twins will need psychiatric or psychological help," Iori determined, trying to keep his face expressionless while his tone was grim. "Maybe both will."

"Yeah," Ken agreed. "Kouichi may not go through the same shock I did, but he'll be in severe depression for a long time. And it will probably be even worse. I never actually tried to kill my brother. He did. Often."

"Wait," Miyako interrupted. "The psychiatry's great and all, but what about their physical injuries? Kouji's half-dead, and Kouichi's not faring well either. I doubt Dr. Yamamoto will be able to be in two places at once."

"Dr. Iwahara!" Tomoki exclaimed. The other nine looked at him for an explanation. "She's a Resistance doctor who helped us take the hospital at Mt. Fuji, and she was our doctor in the Digital World. She'll help!"

"All right," Daisuke replied. "So we'll have Yamamoto and Iwahara for the actual treatment, and Matsumoto for the mental stuff."

"But first we need Kouji's medical records…" Hikari pointed out.

"Out of our way!" a voice shouted. "Coming through!"

Three eighteen-year-olds shoved aside doctors as they raced through the ICU, holding a manila folder containing vital information on a certain patient.

"Taichi, you don't have to be so loud," Hikari reasoned.

"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. "Here's the file." He handed the folder to Ken.

"That's all Dr. Tenshi had been able to get before he died," Yamato added. "The three of us and Hikari added in as much as we could. I'm sorry if it can't help."

"Don't worry, Yamato," Takeru assured. "It will be enough for now."

"I hope so," the older brother commented.

Sora stood peering into Kouji's room. "He's lying there so still. I hope he'll make it through the night."

A sudden scream caused them all to turn. Kouri Minamoto was tearing away from her mother's hand and running toward the door. Before she could get there, Sora scooped her up.

"Calm down, little one," she coaxed. "Things will be all right." The tiny child apparently disagreed because she continued crying.

Izumi walked over and took Kouri out of Sora's arms. "Kouri, listen to me," she reasoned in her most soothing voice.

"'Zumi, what's going to happen to Kouji?" she questioned.

"We don't know yet, but we have to hope he'll get better," Izumi replied.

"Kouri, do you trust your brother?" Ken asked. Kouri nodded. "Then trust him to get through this. From what I've seen, he can handle anything thrown at him. Don't think he'll give up this easily."

"Yeah," Takuya agreed. "He can be stubborn sometimes, but that means he's determined to stick by his friends and family. Did you know he once took an attack to save me?" She shook her head. "He was hurt really badly, but he turned out okay. And how many times did he fight to save us even though he was badly injured? Remember all those times, guys?" Junpei and Tomoki nodded. "See? Everything will turn out okay."

"And we'll see to it," Daisuke promised.

"See?" Izumi questioned. "In fact, why don't you sing that song for Kouji when he wakes up?" Kouri nodded.

"What song is that?" Yamato asked.

"Something I used to sing when I was little, before we moved to Italy." She sang part of it.

"You're kidding," Miyako declared. "That's a song Wallace always sang to Chocomon and Gumimon."

"Really?" Izumi questioned. "Strange how so many things are the same in two different worlds."

"Yeah," Miyako replied. "And I'm sure he'll teach it to you, Kouri."

"Okay," she answered softly.

While all of that was going on outside, a black-colored hand lifted up the window to Kouji's room. A cool night breeze blew in as a graceful Ultimate level Digimon tossed her dignity aside and climbed in.

Sakuyamon then closed the window and placed her staff against the wall. She looked at the unconscious young man lying on the bed and checked his vitals. None of them looked particularly good. The one comfort to anyone was that he was breathing on his own, and that his heart continued to pump blood to his freezing body.

"Doesn't look too good for him, does it?" Tailmon asked. Sakuyamon turned and observed the former Digimon monarchs standing guard. She tried to escape, but she only succeeding in bumping the dialysis machine. There was no sound of pain from Kouji, but Sakuyamon was certain she'd torn something more in his body.

"You don't have to leave," Patamon reasoned. "We know why you're here. We know you want to help."

Sakuyamon looked at the still form of the person she'd attempted to kill many times before. "Will he survive?"

Lopmon looked down at the floor. "Nobody knows for sure. His wound was serious. That machine is the only thing filtering the toxins from his blood. But even _that_ won't help him for long."

Solemnly, Sakuyamon placed Kouji in a leaning position, disturbing his sheets. Upon untying the back of his hospital gown, she observed a large piece of cotton taped to his wound. She carefully tried to peel it off, but her hand touched the blood that had leaked through. In reaction to the pain, she pulled her hand back to see several drops of human blood burning at her data. But that couldn't stop her now. After peeling the cotton bandage off his back, she was able to see the nearly fatal wound.

"They had to give him a tetanus booster," Patamon informed, "so his wound wouldn't get infected."

"But I don't think that will be enough," Tailmon commented. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"No," Sakuyamon confessed. "But I must. I have committed horrendous crimes against Kouji Minamoto, and my judgment day is at hand. I know that there is no forgiveness for me, but I might as well give him back something I continually took away from him one day at a time—his life." She snapped her fingers and a bright blue heart appeared—the healing energy of a MarineAngemon's Ocean Love attack. Several of the tiny Ultimates had been protecting the Mt. Fuji Settlement, trying to heal a young man with fiery orange hair. He'd come out of the incident alive, but many of the Digimon that had healed him were now gone, their data intermingled with Sakuyamon's own.

She snapped her fingers over and over, releasing more of the healing hearts, yet she was highly doubtful that they would heal his pained heart. Cupping them carefully, she then placed them into Kouji's wound, each releasing a flash of light brighter than the last. Finally, with shaking hands, she replaced the bandage and gently laid him back on the bed. Her hand was covered with his blood, and she barely had the strength to place the thick covers back on him.

"I sped up his immune system and healing," she informed, her voice becoming very weak and faint. "When it heals, he won't even have a scar. I couldn't prevent him from feeling the pain, though. I doubt anyone could." She then turned to face him. "Goodbye, Kouji Minamoto. It appears you were human after all…"

One final drop of blood splashed onto the floor, and DigiCode rings formed around Sakuyamon. Each unraveled, the data bands flying out into the air. The light created by them shone on Kouji, who would not be aware of the events for a long time. The remainder of the data took on the appearance of glittering points of light, like stars scattered around the room's occupants.

_Six Days Later  
_Kouichi sat silently in his hospital bed, listening to his parents while Dr. Yamamoto took his blood pressure. But it was as if no one was in there with him; the words of his divorced mother and father went unheard as he was concentrating more than listening.

_Kouji, I know you're there, _he thought, almost as though he thought a telepathic message could pass through to his brother's mind. _Mom, Dad, and the doctors keep saying you are, so you have no reason to hide yourself. I just want to apologize…for everything I've done._

"…And we're not holding you responsible for anything," Tomoko continued. "And if Kouji was here, I know he'd agree."

Those last words pulled Kouichi back into the world of those around him. "What happened? Where is he?"

"He's still in the hospital," Kousei explained, "but he's on another floor."

"What's wrong with him? Why can't I feel his consciousness?"

"He's having a bad reaction to the painkillers," Tomoko explained. "He's in a coma right now, and we're not sure when or if he'll wake up."

"You should be with him," he offered. "If things don't turn out well, you wouldn't want to regret any time wasted." Though he was trying his hardest not to say it, he was telling them that their words did him no good.

Iori sat outside the door of Kouji's room while Izumi was inside. The room actually wasn't as scary as it had seemed the first night. For security measures, no other patients were within a three-room radius. Gifts, when they arrived, were screened by the Resistance and the Chosen Children in order to protect Kouji's fragile life. As a result, there were a few cards scattered about—most from reformed Imperial Guardsmen as apologies, a couple from Resistance fighters, and some from families of actual "halflings," children with mixed Digimon and human parentage. These were often handmade with drawings from the little half-human half-Digimon children and a special message inside. But not one card was considered to be more important than the next. Everyone was just relieved to see that there were people out there that didn't hate him for any of the many reasons: the prolonged war, his ability to become a Digimon, his refusal to surrender, his seeming guilt in assassinations and attacks, and so on and so forth.

Though the dialysis machine was no longer present, the puncture wound to Kouji's side still was. In addition to that, his left arm rested in a sling to allow the healing of his broken shoulder and torn ligaments. A bandage had been wrapped around his bruised head, but it was only enough to cover up to his hairline. His left hand was still bandaged, but his right sported an IV, requiring the removal of the bandage. This hand was in Izumi's hands as she quietly whispered to him.

"Izumi, you don't have to come here everyday," Kousei reasoned.

"It's all right," she assured. "I don't mind. Besides, he did the same for me once."

"Any change?" Tomoko asked, even though she already knew the answer.

Izumi shook her head. "Not since Saturday. I keep hoping he'll show some sign that he's okay, _any_thing to separate him from the dead, but nothing's happened since Saturday."

Kouji's parents were silent. On Saturday night, while Dr. Iwahara was administering a dose of morphine to him, Kouji had called out in his sleep. Dr. Yamamoto then ordered to take him off morphine and use the weaker painkiller codeine instead, but it was too little too late as Kouji slipped back into his coma.

Dr. Matsumoto stood outside the room, watching the sad spectacle. Iori sat reading in a chair beside him, dressed in full SWAT body armor and toting a gun, looking very much like a short Imperial Guardsman. No child, regardless of the age, should be forced to man such a weapon, Matsumoto felt, but in this day and age, innocence was a necessary sacrifice.

"No change?" Dr. Yamamoto determined.

"It makes no sense," Dr. Matsumoto replied. "You said it yourself—the boy is _not _sensitive to narcotics of any kind, so he shouldn't be unconscious from them. Hida-san swears this isn't schizophrenia, and I agree with him. The coma doesn't appear to be related to catatonic schizophrenia or any other forms. And he handles stress far too well for this to be a conversion disorder. Are you sure there was no more in Dr. Tenshi's files?"

"No," he answered. "There isn't even anything in the small amount Yagami-san, Ishida-san, and Takenouchi-san added. But Ichijouji-san has discovered something." Dr. Matsumoto looked to him for an answer. "Apparently, several vials of a powerful animal tranquilizer have disappeared from the remainders of the Kaiser's base."

"And you think the whole operation has been compromised," Iori whispered. Both men turned to see that he had abandoned his book and joined the conversation.

"Yes," Dr. Yamamoto answered.

"We must inform the other Chosen at once!" Dr. Matsumoto decided in a loud whisper.

"No need to report that until we have something _to _report," Dr. Yamamoto reminded, referring to Kouji's condition.

While the doctors discussed Kouichi's condition and how it seemed to match Ken's predictions to the letter, Iori's mind wandered to the past, to a schizophrenic boy named Akemi Miyahara, and the death that had proved to him that nowhere was safe.

_Akemi, I'm sorry,_ he apologized, a tear streaming unnoticed down his right cheek. _I wasn't able to help you, but I'll make it up by seeing to it that Kouji lives—I promise, on my father's grave. I won't let the same thing happen again._

* * *

At six o'clock, Iori's stomach began growling, though hunger wasn't his biggest problem. He had another hour to go before his duties were relieved, but his bladder was what needed relieving at the moment. Unfortunately for him, everyone was out to dinner, so no new guards or visitors would arrive. So after a half-hour of dancing in his seat (something horribly out of his character), he saw Takeru appear down the hall.

"Takeru!" he called. The tall blonde boy dashed over immediately. "Can you take my place for a moment? I need to use the restroom."

"Sure," he agreed. "Why don't you use the one in there?" He pointed to the unused bathroom in Kouji's room. "It'll save you a long trip."

"Thank you, Takeru." Iori then rushed inside the bathroom and locked the door as quickly as possible.

Dr. Iwahara turned the corner and walked to the door of Kouji's room, toting several painkillers she had to administer. Takeru let her in, and she commenced with the business she'd set out to do.

She turned off and unplugged the IV and injected morphine into the tube still in Kouji's hand. Next came a dose of codeine—only so records could report that she had administered it. But as she filled the syringe with the blue foam contained in one vial, pained breathing from the victim translated into low whispers:

"Finally going to finish me off?" Kouji questioned, his voice almost nonexistent. His eyelids drooped from the effort of trying to remain conscious despite the poison. It would not be much longer now before he died. "I guess the others began to catch on. It's only a matter of time before you get caught." Another injection went into him. He winced in pain as sweat beaded down his brow, but he couldn't give in just yet. "Why do you keep doing this? What did I do to you?" Without answering, Iwahara injected the tranquilizer into him. Then again, and again. Kouji was well past unconsciousness at this point as the synergistic effect of the overdose took place. Dr. Iwahara turned to leave when she saw Iori Hida brandishing a gun in front of her. His hands were shaking, and small drops of sweat rolled down his forehead, but his finger remained on the trigger.

Iwahara simply smiled. "You won't do it," she dared.

Iori's mind swam with memories of death he'd experienced: his father's sacrifice to foil an assassination attempt, Wormmon's sacrifice to help Magnamon defeat Chimeramon, BlackWarGreymon's sacrifice to seal the Hikarigaoka gate, and Oikawa's sacrifice of the last of his life force to revitalize the Digital World. Those were sacrifices.

Then there was Akemi.

Yes, Akemi, his friend in the psychiatric ward. The boy had died when a schizophrenia episode caused him to take his own life. That was a disease.

This was murder.

One shot. Just one shot was all Iori took, and all he needed to kill Iwahara. Takeru heard the one shot and saw Iori drop the gun and fall to his knees while Kouji continued suffering the symptoms of an overdose.

"Dr. Yamamoto?" Takeru called. "Anyone?"

He ran down the hall while Iori stared at his deed in terrified shock. It was only then that he remembered he'd never washed his hands, and so he found himself at the sink, scrubbing his hands while the water ran—his compulsion. The sacrifices, diseases, and murders were all he could think of as death masturbated his brain—his obsession. He was still crazy, still sick with his unwanted disease of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Finally, he looked at his hands. They had been scrubbed raw, and at least two layers of skin had peeled off. Under the peeling skin was blood—his blood, just as there was the blood of the Digimon he'd had to kill and the blood of those he'd loved who had died. And he was suddenly aware that no matter how he washed, he could not wash away that blood. He could not wash away death. It would be like washing all of those people away, and he didn't want that.

And so he rinsed his hands, dampened a paper towel, and walked over to Kouji, using the cold water to try and ease the fever brought on by overdose.

_-------  
_The sound of Kouri's singing guided Daisuke's team and the remainder of Takuya's as they walked to Kouji's room several days after the assassination attempt. Kouri stood outside the door, waiting as in the song Wallace and Izumi had taught her: "Streets to the Summer." A big smile appeared on her face when she saw the people she'd come to know so well in such a short time.

"Hi, everyone!" she cried.

"Hi, Kouri," Hikari greeted. "Where's Izumi?"

"'Zumi's inside, feeding Kouji _niisan_," she answered. "I'm helping."

"I'm sure you are," Ken replied as they all entered.

Inside, Izumi was feeding Kouji a spoonful of some kind of sherbet. His right arm rested at his side, paralyzed with pain from the stab to his kidney. He wasn't taking any painkillers after the overdose, but if he was in extreme discomfort, he'd receive ibuprofen. It didn't do a whole lot, but it was much better than dying from stronger painkillers.

When the others followed Takeru to find Kouji in such a dangerous state, they were easily able to piece together Iwahara's actions. She had been administering morphine and the tranquilizer from Wednesday to Saturday, the day that Kouji was conscious enough to call for help. She then silenced him by removing his tonsils—unable to inflict any damage to his vocal cords without arousing suspicion. The revelation was told to Jyou Kido, who shouted out many colorful words that nearly sent the Chosen to the cardiac ward. He'd determined that panic drove Iwahara to give Kouji an overdose, increasing the morphine's power with the codeine and tranquilizer to create a synergistic effect guaranteed to work. An agonizing detoxification was begun, forcing Kouji to experience seizures, fever, hypothermia, and diabetic shock. This was the first day he was officially labeled "clean."

"How are you feeling?" Takeru checked.

"Better than I was in detox," he answered with a scratchy voice.

"Still hurting though?" Junpei guessed.

"Right now, the only thing that doesn't hurt is my left leg."

"The leg!" Daisuke exclaimed, striking his broken hand into this good one. "How could we have forgotten that?"

"Don't worry," Takuya assured. "We'll break it and even everything out." Kouji rolled his eyes.

"If you think Daisuke's bad when teamed up with Takuya, you haven't seen him and my brother Taichi together," Hikari commented with more than a slight groan.

"Well, it's good to see you're doing better and not having all those convulsions," Tomoki interrupted, changing the subject.

"Did you tell him?" Miyako asked. Izumi nodded and produced the two letters she'd read to him a few days earlier:

_Kouji,  
__Nice to finally be able to talk to you, even though it's only through e-mail. Ai and Makoto Shimamura sent your sister a teddy bear as a get-well gift, but it was later when we heard you were in the hospital—that battle must have been more than we thought it would be. If you ever feel like telling your story, we're willing to listen. Good luck, and we hope everything turns out for the best._

_Sincerely,  
__Jenrya Lee, Alice McCoy, Takato Matsuda,  
__Ruki Makino, Ryo Akiyama_

_Kouji,  
__Guess Daisuke, Ken, and everyone have already given you that psychological discussion about how it would be better for you to let all your pain go. We promise that we won't do that, but we do want to hear what you have to say about what happened. Along with the guitar Yamato, Taichi, and Sora sent, we gave you a notebook for you to write your story in. Yamato says you can write your music in it if you don't want to relive the pain. Hope things are okay for you and everyone else. Try and keep in touch._

_Sincerely,  
__Taichi Yagami, Yamato Ishida, Sora Takenouchi,  
__Jyou Kido, Mimi Tachikawa, Koushiro Izumi,  
__Wallace Ford_

The notebook rested in a drawer in his new desk at home. The Chosen on the other side had taken a blue-and-black binder-style notebook and filled it with paper so he could write. The front cover had the symbol of the Spirit of Light, and the back had good luck wishes from all the other Chosen. It was a beautiful piece of work, but it would be quite a while before he'd be able to write in it.

"So what do you think you'll do?" Iori questioned. Before Kouji had a chance to answer, Dr. Matsumoto opened the door.

"Sorry to interrupt," he apologized. "I told Kouichi you wanted to speak with him."

"And?" Kouji asked, expecting the worst. The doctor shook his head.

"However," he continued, "he would like a word with you." He gestured to Ken.

"I'll go talk to him," the Child of Kindness promised.

Rather than take the elevator, Ken walked up the stairs to Kouichi's floor. It kept him in shape for the soccer season, and it also gave him a chance to think about a mysterious confession Kouji had made a few days ago. He'd been having an average of at least two seizures every hour due to diabetic shock. Ken remembered seeing him lying in the bed, struggling to breathe. It was the first time he'd ever seen him as his statistics showed: very low weight, critically injured, and close to death. This confession had been more of a form of insurance, in case Kouji wasn't going to live long enough to tell Ken later. The first former Kaiser had taken it seriously, and listened attentively. It was the first time he'd done this, and he hoped it was his last.

Kouichi was sitting up in bed on his own, reading a book on demonic possession.

"I guess if you can't find answers in the natural, there is no choice but to turn to the supernatural," Ken reasoned.

"I was hoping _you_ had some answers," Kouichi replied, placing his book aside. "I've never really believed in the paranormal before, but after all that's happened…"

"You don't know what to believe," Ken finished. "I know. I went through the same thing."

"Does it ever end?" Kouichi questioned. "Is there ever a day when you don't feel the pain?"

"No. I wish I could say otherwise, but no," Ken admitted. "But I believe each of us can be forgiven." A far away look was in his eyes as he continued. "When we were fighting BelialVamdemon, I could feel Osamu's presence nearby. I felt it again when we found you and Kouji at the beach."

"But why would he be there, if he could?" Kouichi asked, invoking a sigh from Ken.

"I have no right to tell you this, and I hope Kouji will forgive me for doing so, but he told me something important—something he said only I should know."

"What was it?"

"He was going through detox, and he was so sick, he was close to dying. When I saw him, I could see it too. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to tell me later, so he told me there, in between convulsions and hypothermia.

"When he was scanning the Kaiser's data, he was forced to watch a Mind Illusion BelialVamdemon once trapped me in. It was in the desert, and a group of Digimon, and later, humans, were attacking the Kaiser."

"That dream I kept having," Kouichi realized. "Those people who kept attacking… Who were they?"

"Kouji wouldn't say. He wanted to protect their identities. But he did admit that he and Osamu fired the last shot."

"I know."

"But what you don't know is this: After all the DigiCode had been scanned, Osamu appeared. He explained to Kouji that those others were taking a sacrifice too to save you, and it was something they had to do. Osamu was part of the sacrifice too. I knew this wasn't a hallucination when Kouji confirmed that Osamu never mentioned fate or destiny. My brother never believed in it—he thought destiny was an excuse for not trying."

"But why would he appear in front of Kouji just to tell him that?" Kouichi questioned. "You could have done that."

"I know. That's what I thought too, but then I pieced together stories about his life in Cell 24 and about the beatings he had to face. I think Osamu was protecting him." His voice was noticeably lower, but strict. "I spoke with Jyou Kido, and he determined that most of the blows Kouji took were almost always fatal." He began counting each off on his fingers. "Electrical shock, blows to the temples, fire, gasoline inhalation, slit wrists, hard labor, starvation, little to no formal medical care… Right now, Kouji is lucky that he lived long enough to end up in the ICU." Kouichi lowered his head in disgrace.

"Kouji has no reason to forgive me," he commented. "This is the second time I've done this to him."

"I don't know if he'll forgive you, but you can at least find out if _she_ does." Ken turned around. "Kouri, you can come in now."

The small girl walked in, toting Ai and Makoto's old teddy bear with the stitched-up arm. Kouichi noted the damage to her own arm as she shyly walked in, acting nothing like her usual outspoken self.

"Kouichi _niisan_?" she asked timidly.

* * *

Kouri quickly clambered up the stairs to Kouji's bedroom, where he lay asleep on the bed. Next to him was the notebook he'd been writing in for the past two months. It was almost finished, and he'd pushed himself to the brink of exhaustion to get it done. Though she was normally an empathic child, she couldn't just let him sleep. Today was December 23, which was even more important than New Year's for her.

Her idea of a wake-up call was the same one Chibimon tended to use for Daisuke, so it was a good idea to leave enough room on the bed for her. She climbed up and began jumping to get his attention.

"Kouji, wake up!" she cried.

He slowly opened his eyes to see his younger sister sitting on the edge of his bed, dressed in her pale purple _qipao_. She smiled innocently at him, denying any involvement in the rude awakening he'd just received.

"Sorry," he mumbled, carefully getting up. "Are the others here yet?"

"Just 'Zumi," she answered. "Come on!"

"Hold on," he urged, getting a jacket on. His left sleeve limply hung off, as his arm was still in a sling.

They went downstairs to find Izumi sitting on the couch. She and Kouji kissed briefly before taking a seat.

"Is Kouichi coming?" Izumi asked.

"I don't know," Kouji confessed. "I tried to call him, but Mom said he wasn't home."

As they spoke, Kouichi sat in the deepest level of the Shibuya train station. No Trailmon would be coming in that day as it was close to the holidays, and the humans wanted to be with their families.

He held the switchblade in his hand, almost as though admiring the royal blue handle with its silver dragon. It had taken a while to steal this off Daisuke, and he hoped that Ken wouldn't mind that he'd taken advantage of how much they looked alike. He extended the blade slowly, seeing the reflection of his troubled sapphire eyes in the cold steel. There was only one way out, and this was it.

"Going to end it like this?" He just ignored Sakiko Ayamisa and allowed her to approach.

"The Kaiser is a curse on this world. Better to end the pain for everyone."

"Coward!" she declared, punching him exactly where Kouji had months before. "You selfish coward! Do you think this will all just go away if you die? Only _your_ pain will end." She could see tears beginning to well up in his eyes, so she decided to play her trump card. "And how could you do this to your family? Your friends? To Kouji? How _could _you put him through this pain? Don't you think you've done enough to hurt him?"

Tears were now streaming down his face as Sakiko sat next to him. She carefully took Daisuke's knife from his hands and closed it. She then gently turned his head to her and whispered, "Don't ever think about doing this again. There are people who love you, so don't cause them that pain. My father did, and I never forgave him for the pain that still lives with me today." She then kissed him more _com_passionately than passionately, letting her tongue slip into his mouth. Kouichi was surprised, but he didn't pull away. After several seconds, it ended.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Kouji once told me to save my feelings for someone who deserved them. And right now, I think you deserve all the compassion you can get."

"After what I've done? After I killed your mother? After your father committed suicide in grief?"

"Let's concentrate on the present rather than the past." She held out her hand. "Let's start over. I'm Sakiko Ayamisa."

He took her hand and shook it. "Kouichi Kimura. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." The smile she wore was completely sincere.

When they finally arrived at the Minamotos' home, they were relieved to see they weren't the last ones there. The Himi brothers arrived a bit later, after a near fight between Guilmon and Agumon. All three Digimon came with them.

"Is everybody ready to go?" Kage checked. "Good. We'll all meet at the mountain."

* * *

It was a long ride to Mt. Fuji, but they made the trek without complaints—even Takamoto, who had quite a bit of trouble with his cane once the walking began. They hiked up to the mock grave and felt the last rays of the setting sun as they stood there. Kouri held a lit candle and handed it to Hikari. The former bearer of the Crest and Digimental of Light knelt down and lit a candle for a friend named Wizardmon, and another for a group of Numemon, both of whom had saved her life. The candle was given to Takeru, who lit one on behalf of the Tamers for Juri's former partner Leomon. Next, Miyako lit one for an unrelated Leomon, on behalf of Mimi and Jyou. Daisuke lit one for the Lilymon he'd been forced to kill, as well as for Sakuyamon, who deserved it in his and Taichi's eyes for saving Kouji. The candle then found its way to Iori, who lit four: one for his father, another for Oikawa, another for Akemi, and a final for the BlackWarGreymon that had sacrificed himself to seal the Hikarigaoka gate. Kage and Taiyou lit one for their father, and Sakiko lit one for her mother—not for her father, as she could not yet forgive him. Takamoto lit one for Miyagami, as well as one for all the people that had died because of the bacterium he'd created. Himi then lit one for all the humans and Digimon that had sacrificed their lives in the war. Kouichi lit one for his grandmother, and Izumi and Kouji lit one for the Azikiwes. Kouji then lit one in memory of the slaves that had died after meeting him, whether they died naturally like the sick slave on Cellblock 18 or because they had seen his face. Finally, Ken lit a candle for Archnemon, and one for Osamu before turning to the six Legendary Warriors. Kouri handed them Sakuyamon's staff, and they placed it in the center.

For a long time, everyone was silent. But then Takeru began strumming on the acoustic guitar his brother had given Kouji while Hikari sang a makeshift alleluia. They were barely friends, but they resolved to cooperate for this. The sun and moon shone on the group of people as the tiny points of light glowed in front of them.

"Is it finished yet?" Takeru asked Kouji quietly. Both knew that Takeru was the better writer, so he'd volunteered to revise and type the story for the others to read.

"Almost. You can start typing it in a few days."

"All right."

_Nine Days Later  
__Mt. Fuji, Japan  
_In the abandoned mess hall of the Resistance base called the Underground Railroad, three children sat around a small round table. One was a pale American girl dressed in a black gown straight out of the Renaissance. Her straw-colored hair was in a black butterfly clip at the back of her head. Beside her was her boyfriend, a tan-skinned boy of Chinese and Japanese lineage, dressed in a white T-shirt, a khaki jacket, and black jeans. His dark blue hair was slightly wind-swept, but neatly arranged nonetheless. Across from them was a younger boy, whose bluish-black hair stuck up in every which way, donning a long-sleeved navy T-shirt, a short-sleeved green sweater shirt, and a pair of jeans.

"Should we start?" the boy in white asked.

"No," the other replied. "Give her a few more seconds."

"How can you be sure she'll come?" the girl questioned.

"She may not like me, but she'll come," he assured.

As though she'd heard him, a girl the same age as the first boy and girl ran in. She sported a black chauffeur's cap over her fawn-colored hair, and her clothes indicated she'd just run in from dance class: a black leotard and heliotrope leggings and white sneakers over pink tights.

"Sorry I'm so late," she apologized, an oddity for her nowadays. "I had to sneak in, but I think Ken might have followed me."

"That's all right," the younger boy answered. "My brother has a right to hear this as well. Thank you for coming, Hikari. I know how you feel about me."

Hikari Yagami shrugged indifferently and turned to the other two. "Jenrya, Alice, how are things going?"

"Pretty good," Jenrya Lee replied. "There are no disturbances in any of the worlds, almost as though everyone's taking time off after the Kaiser incident."

"But those assassination attempts keep happening," Alice McCoy pointed out.

"Kouji's been getting into fights at school," Osamu Ichijouji noticed. "They're causing little Kouri to grow up a lot faster than she should. That other, more mature personality of hers is taking over completely."

Hikari nodded. "Also, he requested something weird from me." She told them what it was.

"So what are you going to do about this?" Jenrya questioned.

"I don't know," she answered. "I can't say no, but I can't put him through the pain of his past again."

_Funny, _Osamu thought. _He thinks the same about everyone else._ He didn't speak his thoughts aloud, but merely nodded his head.

The door suddenly burst open and Ken Ichijouji entered the dark room. The four sat calmly at the table, waiting for him to notice them.

"Hikari, why did you come here for?" he asked. "Daisuke and Iori want us to head over to the conference with Kage and Koushiro." It was then that he noticed the smaller figure seated at the table. His face drained of all color as he stared. Only a small, almost whispering voice came out of his mouth, like the voice of a child. "Osamu _niisan_?"

"Yes, Ken."

"But how? I thought you were watching over Kouji."

"I don't need to anymore. He has his own brother to do that, and an entire support system to lean on. I can move on."

"But…"

"Don't worry, _ototo-chan_. I'll still be watching you. But as third-in-command, you have other people to be watching on as well." Ken nodded in reply.

"But I still don't understand what's going on."

"I can't tell you everything in order to respect Kouji's wishes. But Jenrya, Alice, Hikari, Gennai, and Qinglongmon can help." He glanced at Hikari, who placed her D-3 under his wrist momentarily. A holographic image of Gennai and Qinglongmon appeared in the center of the tunnel soon after.

"I assume it's time to tell the whole story," Qinglongmon observed.

"Ken, you'll want to sit down to hear this from all of us," Gennai advised. Osamu offered his own seat, and Ken sat down in it. The conspiracy kept for four years that day was finally going to be revealed.

_January 4, 2007—Four years after the defeat of BelialVamdemon and the rise of Kouichi Kimura, the new Kaiser  
__Yokohama, Japan  
_A light snow covered the ground at the park, but that was not his concern. The dawning sun had not entirely risen yet, but that was not his concern. His injuries were aching in the burning cold, but that was not his concern. Right now, the only concern for Kouji Minamoto was to finish writing this story in his notebook. He was warmly dressed and had a thermos of hot tea to keep warm. A lantern filled with shining Fox Leaf Arrowheads sat on the dry picnic table he was seated at while the soft morning light glittered in the barren trees. His arm was still in a sling underneath his coat, and his hands were still bandaged under his gloves. But the one problem that was not solved was this work. Writer's block had struck him at the most inconvenient time, and he was forced to merely sit there, tapping his pen against the table and reviewing the pages. Occasionally, he would scribble down lyrics on sheets of paper at the back of the notebook, trying to let out his frustration at not being able to figure this out. Somehow, this day made all his wounds ache, but the reason was not as elusive as one might think.

He still hadn't revealed the names of the others in the Mind Illusion, and he resolved never to. He had no right to put them through that guilt. Taiyou still hadn't forgiven him, but he never asked her to anyway. It was one of the many things he lived with, part of the sacrifice he'd made. Kouichi had at least begun to forgive himself and was becoming fast friends with Sakiko, who lived with her grandfather-figure and Digimon partners in the Mt. Fuji town. Takamoto had remained there as well, but he, Himi, and Taiyou were currently attending the university in Tokyo. Kage had been accepted on a scholarship Archnemon set up for all of the Resistance fighters as his genius had finally been recognized, and so the Underground Railroad no longer had its conductor. The other Chosen had returned to their world, but they still crossed over whenever they wanted or needed to. And the Chosen of this world had returned to their daily lives, though ready to evolve at a moment's notice.

Cold snow fell on top of Kouji's head, causing him to look back at Izumi, who kept her empty cupped hands over his head. She smiled and took a seat beside him. He pushed back the headphones of his CD player as one of Yamato's hit songs, "Tobira," continued playing.

"How's it coming along?" she questioned.

"I'm basically done, but the ending feels empty. It feels like it needs something more."

"Hmm," she commented. The silence of the early morning made the music of "Tobira" audible, despite how quietly Kouji had to play it. "It would be appropriate if you finished it today," she finally commented, "maybe even too appropriate."

"The writing will be finished, but not the story," he corrected, remembering Osamu's words. "Anything more can happen tomorrow."

"Well, no matter what tomorrow brings, I'll be there with you to face it. It's not a sacrifice you have to make on your own."

Kouji nodded as thesong played in his headphones. Suddenly, he knew just how to end his writing. With Izumi beside him, he resumed his story.

**Well, again, there's some crap in here taken from _Pretender._ If you know what you're looking for, you'll find it. The guy Sakuyamon remembers was Nairusu, so you know he survived the rain of death in "Reach For You." The comment between the doctors about not reporting their suspicions until they had something to report was straight out of _Star Wars, Episode One. _And the starting over thing between Sakiko and Kouichi was from the original DigiDestinies. The favor that Kouji asked Hikari for, however, is a secret I won't reveal until the epilogue to "Echoes of Angels."**


End file.
